Senate President Godswill Akpabio’s recent declaration that the Peoples Democratic Party is dead has drawn a sharp rebuttal from the Nyesom Wike aligned faction of the party, which insists the PDP remains not just alive but the most sought after political platform in the country.
In a statement, National Publicity Secretary Haruna Jungudo argued that political parties draw their strength from public trust rather than the verdicts of their opponents, and pointed to a run of recent developments as evidence the party’s national appeal is growing: Iyabo Obasanjo’s decision to align with the PDP, the arrival of Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, wins in Adamawa’s local government elections and a Rivers State Senate bye election, and a steady inflow of politicians from states including Katsina, Jigawa, Imo and Oyo. Over its twenty seven year history, Jungudo said, the party has weathered difficult moments and consistently emerged stronger, and its current rebuilding phase is no exception.
He added a pointed irony to the rebuttal: the very project Akpabio was commissioning when he made the remark, Jungudo noted, was overseen by a PDP member currently serving in the APC administration.
