Television Nigerian

As a public affairs commentator and policy analyst, Professor Okey Ikechukwu has argued that the PDP is not prepared to win the 2027 elections.
In the 2027 elections, he claims, the PDP poses no threat to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) because its house is in such chaos.
Professor Ikechukwu, who was speaking on Friday on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, recalled the days when the PDP was a strong party but bemoaned the fact that it has now reached a very low position and is finding it difficult to rise.

Unless the PDP can overcome its internal issue before the 2027 elections, he argued, it will lose badly at the polls and be forced to be carried out on a stretcher.

According to the policy analyst, the PDP is a very strong party that waged successful campaigns under previous Presidents Obasanjo, Audu Ogbe, and even Atiku (Abubakar). In 2003, I believe you had three campaign teams. Currently, it has diminished into a whimpering group of confused individuals posing as a political party.

“The PDP just discusses its disputes today. What else does it do? In other words, it sometimes issues news releases criticizing the APC, claiming that this is political opposition.

The PDP has failed in its function as a viable opposition to the current government, in addition to losing its status as a ruling party, Ikechukwu continued.

He bemoaned the fact that the party has failed to draw the interest of both voters and lawmakers.

Opposition is all about presenting a profile that will make you appealing to the next person and make them think, ‘No, no, no, I need this man to replace this other guy; they don’t know what they are doing.’

Tell me what appeals to the PDP today, please. It is in complete chaos on the inside,” he continued.

Failure Is Coming
According to the policy analyst, the PDP needs to organize its affairs now if it wants to receive any significant results from the 2027 elections.

It seems incongruous that it will participate in the upcoming election but not run for office.

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Ikechukwu stated, “You are participating in an event, but your preparation is such that we know you are going to arrive, get severely beaten, and be carried on a stretcher, unless there is a dramatic reconfiguration within that party, with clear attention to the need to modify the optics of people you see in the party.”

The Factor of Wike
According to Professor Ikechukwu, the PDP should be ashamed that the former governor is still a member, considering his alleged anti-party actions, even though Nyesom Wike, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, is a political asset to any party.

He accused the PDP of failing to control Wike or hold him accountable, saying that these indices are just making the party look even more absurd in the political arena.

Regardless of your feelings for him, you have to ask yourself if he is a fool, Ikechukwu stated. The response is no. Does he understand his actions? Possibly. Is it possible to ignore him? The response is no. Wike’s continued membership in the PDP should shame them, considering everything he has done and continues to do.

“The PDP ought to feel ashamed that it has failed to handle someone like Wike, as he will be a political asset to whoever he works for.” His current employers view him as a political asset. However, letting him ride in both lanes and reach 160 km/h indicates that no one is in charge of traffic.

With due respect to the esteemed members of that party, the PDP is making itself appear increasingly absurd not just every day but also every hour as the next hour approaches. They must quit deluding themselves.

Abuja, Nigeria – June 12, 2025 | In a powerful address to the nation marking this year’s Democracy Day, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu delivered a passionate speech before a joint session of the National Assembly, reflecting on Nigeria’s democratic progress and outlining key reforms under his leadership.

President Tinubu opened his remarks by paying tribute to democratic icons, including the late Chief MKO Abiola, whose legacy of resistance and sacrifice helped usher in the return of civil rule. He also saluted former President Muhammadu Buhari for officially designating June 12 as Democracy Day, a move Tinubu described as a vital step in preserving Nigeria’s political history.

Speaking firmly on the state of the nation, Tinubu dismissed any notions of a planned one-party state, emphasizing the need for vibrant political opposition and the sanctity of democratic freedom. He described the growing support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a sign of political confidence, not coercion, urging other parties to strengthen internal discipline and connect better with citizens.

On the economy, the President announced a number of milestones, including a rebound in economic growth, improved foreign reserves, a more stable naira, and reduced dependence on borrowing by state governments. He revealed that Nigeria’s GDP grew by 3.4% in 2024, with the last quarter recording the highest growth in over ten years.

President Tinubu also unveiled the expansion of his administration’s credit access initiative, noting that over 100,000 Nigerians, including 35,000 federal workers, have already benefited. By July, he said, 400,000 more youths, including members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), will receive interest-free consumer credit to boost productivity and financial independence.

The President concluded with a call for unity, urging Nigerians across political, religious, and ethnic lines to stand together in defense of democracy, national development, and a shared future

Nigerians have been urged by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to take advantage of June 12th as Democracy Day to re-energize and fortify their opposition to the All Progressives Congress’s (APC) anti-democratic plans, particularly the attempt to impose a totalitarian One-Party system on the country.

The PDP called on Nigerians, democratic institutions, organized civil society, development partners, and all other supporters of democracy to come together and speak out against the suppression of democratic principles, including justice, the rule of law, a free, fair, peaceful, and credible electoral process, and the right of citizens, especially to freely participate in politics and governance in Nigeria, in a statement commemorating 2025 Democracy Day.

In an effort to instill a defeatist mindset in the populace and transform the country into the property and fief of a select few in power, the party expressed alarm over the “anti-democratic actions of the APC government which continues to use compromised state apparatus of powers and control to brazenly violate the constitution, emasculate opposition, defy and abridge the liberty of the citizens to freely elect their leaders, corrupt and manipulate Institutions of Democracy, asphyxiate the media, and weaponize poverty.”

In order to allegedly pave the way for a totalitarian system in our nation, the opposition party claims that the APC-led Presidency has remained unaccountable while conspiring with the dishonest, rubber stamp APC leadership in the National Assembly and some compromised judicial officers in very high places to erode popular sovereignty.

A clear and present threat to our democracy is indicated by the blatant use of state capture, as demonstrated by the subversion of the will of the people in the 2024 Edo State gubernatorial election, the widely denounced overthrow of a democratically elected government, and the imposition of a sole administrator in Rivers State in flagrant violation of the 1999 Constitution, among other constitutional infractions.

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As demonstrated by the APC administration, “June 12 Democracy Day thus symbolizes Nigerians’ fight against an oppressive, autocratic, and lawless system propelled by impunity, high-level deceit, and reckless anti-people tendencies.” Additionally, it symbolizes Nigerians’ insistence on a government that is answerable to the people, upholds the Rule of Law, and is founded on democratic values such as freedom, justice, equity, fairness, and credibility, as well as national unity, accountability in government, and transparency—all of which Chief MKO Abiola personified and sacrificed his life for.

Under the People’s Democratic Party, Nigerians were able to enjoy these democratic values. Since the arrival of the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) posing as the APC, all have painfully avoided the country, according to the statement.

Therefore, the opposition party encouraged the APC administration to uphold the Principle of Separation of Powers in order to honor Chief Abiola’s memory, the law, and the sovereignty of the Nigerian people.

It also urged the administration to allow a free press, pledge to hold credible elections, be honest and open, review all of its policies that use poverty as a weapon, and stop interfering with the operations of the National Assembly and other democratic institutions, especially the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the judiciary.

The PDP urged the judiciary, INEC, and the National Assembly to declare their constitutional independence and function solely in accordance with the Rule of Law and the public interest in advancing democratic principles.

The claims that his former employer embezzled Nigerian funds and concealed them abroad have been denied by Hamza Al-Mustapha, the former Chief Security Officer of the late military Head of State, General Sani Abacha.
He said that the funds in question were utilized to help Nigerians through difficult economic times in an interview with the BBC.
He maintained that the funds were not pilfered but rather were held in a national account to fund Nigeria’s economic strategy.

“At that time, the government was operating under a lot of hardship,” he said. No money was present. So, along with a few others, we traveled to Libya to find out how they were coping. Libya had been subject to sanctions for eleven years.
He clarified that after researching Libya’s system, the Abacha administration implemented a program that let Nigerian-owned businesses to obtain government funding in order to purchase commodities and resell them to the populace at reasonable costs.

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By God’s favor, Nigerians were spared throughout the copying of these materials. Abacha’s death, however, caused some people to refuse to return the money. Instead, they made up a lot of untrue things about him.

“The money that they claim was sent back to Nigeria wasn’t in Abacha’s name, in my opinion. In order to sustain this economic plan, the funds were retained in national accounts. He stated, “Some gave it back, while others concealed it.”

Further challenging the accusations, he said, “Did Abacha ever travel abroad? Did he sign the money that was discovered? Or was he caught moving funds? “No.”

Al-Mustapha responded that while there has been political advancement in Nigeria, the lives of average Nigerians have not changed when questioned about the country’s democracy.

According to him, “democracy is good, but it’s a big problem when it’s used in a way that harms the people.”

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has fully pardoned Ogoni Nine leader Ken Saro Wiwa (CON) and his fellow activists.
In an address to the National Assembly on Thursday in honor of June 12th, Democracy Day, the President reportedly revealed this.
“I will give the Ogoni nine activists and others whose names will be revealed later in cooperation with the National Council of State,” he said.

“In addition, I bestow posthumous national honors on Ken Saro Wiwa (CON), the leader of the Ogoni Nine, and his fellow travelers, Saturday Dobee (OON), Nordu Eawo (OON), Daniel Gbooko (OON), Paul Levera (OON), Felix Nuate (OON), Baribor Bera (OON), Barinem Kiobel (OON), and John Kpuine (OON).” “I will also be using my authority under the prerogative of mercy to fully pardon these national heroes, along with others whose names will be revealed later in collaboration with the National Council of State,” Tinubu said.

Remember that in 1995, under General Sani Abacha’s military regime, Ken Saro-Wiwa was hung after being tried by a special military trial for allegedly planning the killing of Ogoni leaders during a pro-government gathering.

Because of the international outcry over his death, Nigeria was suspended from the Commonwealth of Nations for over three years.