Ndubisi Nwobu
The former Chairman of the PDP Anambra State Chapter, Dr. Ndubisi Nwobu, granted an interview to selected journalists in the state, read and enjoy
Question: Sir, can you honestly say that the PDP is in the race for the November 8, 2025, governorship election in Anambra State?
Answer:
Basically, the PDP is fully in the race for the November 2025 governorship election. It is the political party that sponsors candidates in elections, and as of today, the PDP is sponsoring a candidate in the upcoming election.
Nigerians and Ndi Anambra are aware that the PDP has faced challenges in recent times. These challenges are not unique to Anambra State; they exist at the national level as well. The party structure has been unstable for years.
Since I left office three or four years ago as the elected PDP chairman in Anambra State, we had not had an elected chairman until October 2024. Imagine an organization without leadership , it is bound to experience difficulties. In addition to the challenges in the state, there are also issues at the national level, where the leadership, including the chairman and secretary, are embroiled in a crisis.
Honestly, this is not the best time for the party. It was in the midst of these challenges and during the nomination period for our candidate that the crisis escalated. You’ll agree with me that individuals interested in contesting elections might shy away when they see such leadership instability. This naturally affects the party’s ability to field the best candidates.
However, you should remember that this is a party with deep roots in Anambra State. People like Alex Ekwueme, the former Vice President of Nigeria, was one of the party’s founding fathers. Because of that legacy, the party is still loved by Ndi Anambra. There is hardly any home in the state without at least one PDP member.
Even many of those currently in other parties were once PDP members. The current governor of the state once contested for the governorship under the PDP platform. To that extent, you cannot rule out the PDP in the Anambra governorship election.
We are still moving forward, and in the end, we will present candidates who are not just credible but among the best — our first eleven. The party is strategizing and working seriously toward this election.
Question: Do you think Damegun is working for the PDP or APC as of today?
Answer:
Let me begin by addressing the crisis at the national level. Yes, the crisis has lingered for quite a while, particularly over the issue of who holds the position of national secretary of the party. The question arises: why should the acting national secretary remain in office while the people of the North Central zone are seeking a replacement for the former national chairman? All these issues have polarized the party. The unbridled ambition of certain individuals, pursued without restraint, is a major problem.
As the national secretary, you are one of the signatories for the party’s candidates whose names are submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). You are also among those responsible for setting up committees to conduct congresses, primaries, and to ratify the outcomes.
In a system guided by conscience, one should not be a judge in their own case. Senator Sam Anyanwu should have recused himself the moment he decided to contest the governorship of Imo State. He failed to do that. Despite the assurances and promises he made to the South-East leadership of the party,openly, at the Governor’s Lodge in Enugu State,that he would resign, he never did. In fact, he should not have contested the primary without first resigning his position as national secretary. As national secretary, he was one of those responsible for determining the party’s candidates. This was precisely why the former governor of Imo State, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, declined to contest the governorship election. What was the point of participating in a contest where your opponent was both player and referee? That kind of scenario is fundamentally unjust.
It is shameful that Senator Sam Anyanwu did not step down long before now. It is even more unconscionable that he continues to drag the party through the mud to this day. On Tuesday, he even appeared as the national secretary before the National Working Committee (NWC). Fortunately, the committee stopped him and asked him to step aside, allowing the deputy national secretary to assume the position until the South-East presents a new nominee.
There are rules and procedures, but people often sideline them for selfish interests and act arbitrarily. Now, we expect the judiciary to correct the anomaly, but the courts have stated that party affairs should be handled internally. This crisis ought not to exist, but it persists because some individuals are serving interests other than those of the party.
Now to the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mr. Nyesom Wike,if he were truly bold, he should pick up an APC membership card. I am convinced he is being cowardly by saying, “I am a PDP member but I support Tinubu.” What kind of statement is that? You cannot claim to be a member of one party while supporting the candidate of another. That means you are no longer truly a member of your claimed party.
Today, many believe that money can buy anything. He continues to parade himself as a PDP member while sponsoring renegades to cause disruption in the party. They also assume that the judiciary is for sale and that they can simply obtain favorable court orders.
If what is happening in the PDP had occurred in any other political party, that party would have collapsed by now. The PDP, however, has been able to endure because it has established several institutional structures—the Board of Trustees (BoT), the Governors’ Forum, and others—that are actively defending it from those who seek to destroy it.
Yes, there are fundamental challenges and internal crises in the party. Anyone who tells you otherwise is either misinformed or dishonest. However, I believe that the party’s internal structures will enable it to overcome these issues. It’s just a matter of time before everything is resolved.
As for governors defecting from the PDP to the APC—joining a political party is a matter of personal choice, and the constitution guarantees freedom of association. However, within the constitutional framework, it is also stated that if a lawmaker defects without just cause, they lose their seat. For executives, like governors, the courts have unfortunately ruled that they can defect and retain their positions.
As a political scientist, I believe there is no justification for a governor to defect and keep his seat. When you run for election, you do so under a party platform, not as an individual. In fact, on the ballot, the candidate’s name is not even the focal point—the party is. If you win an election on a party’s mandate and later want to join another party, common sense and conscience should compel you to relinquish the office, obtain a ticket from your new party, and contest again.
As of today, Nigeria does not allow independent candidacy. While the judiciary has unfortunately allowed executives to defect without consequence, the Supreme Court has rightly held that legislators cannot defect and retain their seats unless there is a division within the party.
In Rivers State, where many lawmakers have openly defected, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should not wait for a court decision. It should immediately declare those seats vacant and schedule new elections. Let them run on the tickets of their new parties and face the electorate. As things stand, they are no longer representing their constituents—they are only representing themselves.
Governors who defect usually do so for selfish reasons. Because of the kind of democracy we practice, many of our leaders have become corrupt. You’ll find someone who becomes a governor and, by the time they leave office, they’ve amassed enough wealth to last five generations. Often, the government is aware of their misdeeds. If any of them dares to act independently, they are quickly targeted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). To avoid prosecution, they back down. This is not what democracy should be.
If former President Jonathan had behaved the way the APC leadership does today, the APC would never have come into existence.
Today, we have people in power who are only pretending to uphold democracy in Nigeria. In the past, they advocated for democratic principles—freedom of speech, true federalism, and good governance. But now, everything they do contradicts those ideals.
Question: Why is the political party not retrieving their mandate from the defectors?
Answer: The political party and the judiciary should be held accountable for the failure to retrieve those mandates. There are instances where parties have gone to court and won, which is why I assert that there are legal precedents that, when a politician defects, they lose their seat. Once a case is decided, it becomes law, and citizens should not be subjected to this process repeatedly.
As you know, when it comes to litigation in this country, you need a lawyer, often a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), because you are likely to face opponents with substantial financial resources. To hire a SAN, the cost could be as high as N5 million just for consultation. How many political parties can afford such an amount? Furthermore, to follow up on a case, there are the judiciary obstacles, where technicalities might arise to dismiss the case.
Despite these challenges, the political parties should be committed to following up on these cases until resolution. If they fail to do so, the situation will persist. Today, some people are happy when others defect to their party, whereas, when the PDP was in power, defections were strongly criticized. Now, the PDP is at the receiving end. This is why I believe we should focus on the law and not just when it aligns with our interests.
Question: Why is it that the PDP cannot discipline Nyesom Wike despite his obvious disloyalty?
Answer: If you recall, when Wike was the governor of Rivers State, he was essentially the alter ego of the party. He did everything possible to showcase his commitment to sustaining the PDP, and in the process, he built a network of loyalists and associates within the party leadership. Many of those who emerged as members of the National Working Committee (NWC) had a strong influence from Wike, starting with the national chairman, the national secretary, and others. To this day, he continues to sustain them financially, which makes it difficult for some of them to openly address the issue within the party.
The good news, however, is that we have been able to address the issue with the national secretary, which is a key position, and we will soon deal with other matters. The party’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting is scheduled for May, and during that meeting, most decisions of the NWC will be ratified. After the council meeting, there will be a national convention where new leadership will emerge, free from the influence that previously held the party hostage. When the new leadership emerges, they will have the courage to address the party’s issues.
Question: What you are saying is that there is a crisis in the PDP?
Answer: Yes, of course. It is not hidden. Anyone who tells you that there is no dispute in the PDP is either lying to themselves or deceiving others. No doubt, there are challenges in the PDP, but it’s important to recognize that every political party faces its own crises, including the APC and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
Question: The general impression among Nigerians is that the APC is not doing well, yet with the wave of defections to the party, it appears that politicians are not feeling the pains of Nigerians. What is your take on this?
Answer: When you look at the situation in this country, the political class represents a very small percentage of the political activities. While the political class may have their views, it is the people who determine the political direction of the nation. If governors are so powerful, why would they spend so much money on their re-election bids?
Take Delta State, for example, where the governor defected with the former governor, who was the PDP’s vice presidential candidate. This does not mean that Delta State has entirely defected to the APC. Remember, in the 2023 elections, we had a governor who was also the vice-presidential candidate, and we lost in that state. However, the PDP feels the loss of such prominent figures deeply.
In 2027, it will be the people who decide the direction of the election, not the governors who will determine voting patterns. Many factors will influence the election.
Question: Sir, are you saying that Tinubu and the APC will not win the 2027 election in Nigeria?
Answer: It is not only possible, but it is also highly likely that the APC will lose the election, given the general public’s feelings toward the party. The hardship that Nigerians are experiencing is substantial enough to cause the party to lose the election.
Question: Given that voting doesn’t seem to count in the country and that decisions are often made by the umpire and the government in power, is it possible for Nigerians to get it right?
Answer: There is no power greater than that of the people. The members of INEC you are referring to, are they not Nigerians? Don’t they experience the same pain as the rest of the citizens? What we have today in Nigeria is a precarious peace; when it breaks, everyone will feel it.
Question: What arrangements is the PDP making to win the 2027 general election?
Answer: I watched and read the communique from the PDP governors in Ibadan, Oyo State. These are governors I have great respect for, but I must disagree with them on some points. Despite their wealth of knowledge and influence, I believe they are misreading the mood and feelings of the nation. PDP is a great party with a strong structure across the country, but it is not enough. We need to be honest with ourselves: we need to wrest power from the APC for the greater good of the people. This is not something the PDP can do alone.
There is no point in considering ourselves as being at a higher level than others. PDP must form a coalition with other political forces to wrest power from the APC. We must do this, not for the sake of the PDP, but for the masses of this country. If the governors believe that the PDP can achieve this alone, I’m afraid the party is already on the path to failure.
The PDP needs to lead in conjunction with other forces to ensure that power is taken from the APC. Coalition is the only way out, and anyone telling you otherwise is not being honest.
Question: Some parties are fragmented in the country today; how do you think they could come together to fight the APC?
Answer: While some parties may be fragmented, it is important to note that they have not lost the support of the people. There are still individuals within these parties who can mobilize the public.
If Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar could set aside their differences and come together, they could certainly win the 2027 election. With these two leaders, along with other influential figures, power could be taken away from the APC.
There is widespread dissatisfaction in the country, even among APC members. It’s important to remember that while the government may be using its power to undermine others, realignment and coalition-building will take place in the next election.
I firmly believe that a coalition is possible, but for it to succeed, those involved must be honest about their intentions. They need to put aside their pride and act swiftly if they want to reclaim power from the current administration.
This process must begin immediately, as they need time to build the necessary awareness and educate the public about the new party. For people to know which party to support, proper education and awareness are key.
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