…Says PDP is a party of “cabals and personal ambition,” hails APC’s ideological revival
Former Deputy Governor of Edo State, Comrade Philip Shaibu, has thrown his weight behind the recent defection of Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to the All Progressives Congress (APC), stating that the crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is a result of the party’s failure to embrace internal democracy and ideological consistency.
Speaking during a media chat in Abuja on Thursday, Shaibu described the PDP as a sinking ship, adding that the party’s collapse was inevitable due to what he called “chronic disregard for its constitution and values.”
“I am not surprised by what is happening in the PDP,” Shaibu said. “From the moment I rejoined, I saw cracks. Within six months, I called out the leadership for being undemocratic. I was told to be quiet, but now, everything I warned about is happening.”
He said the ongoing defections—culminating in the mass exit of the Delta State governor, his deputy, and top political figures—are the natural result of the PDP’s abandonment of its founding vision. “The PDP has lost its soul. It’s now about personality cults, not policy or people,” he said.
Shaibu lauded APC National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, for initiating reforms within the ruling party, including the establishment of a political institute to foster ideological discipline. “This is the way forward,” Shaibu noted. “We must stop building parties around individuals and start investing in political institutions.”
While calling for a new wave of ideological politics in Nigeria, he warned that unless political parties shift from personality-based structures to value-based systems, the country will continue to experience political instability.
“The tragedy of PDP is that a few people’s ambitions have become the entire party’s vision. That is why it is crumbling,” he concluded.
Shaibu’s remarks add to the political tremor shaking Nigeria’s opposition as more PDP heavyweights signal their intention to join the APC ahead of the 2027 elections.
