VIDEO: PDP Suffering From Post-Election Loss Traumatic Disorder — Analyst

A development consultant and political analyst, Jide Ojo, has described the prolonged crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a lingering consequence of repeated electoral defeats, saying the party has been grappling with what he termed “post-election loss traumatic disorder” since 2015.

Ojo made the remarks on Tuesday while speaking as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today, against the backdrop of the escalating rift between Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

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“When you are looking at and dissecting the problem, you talk about the remote and immediate causes of that problem. So we know that the PDP has been suffering from post-election loss traumatic disorder since 2015, and for 10 years now, it has been in pain,” Ojo said.

According to Ojo, while the party’s troubles are long-standing, the immediate trigger of the current crisis is the open fallout between Makinde and Wike, which has brought underlying tensions to the surface.

“I think the immediate cause of the current crisis is what Seyi Makinde has put out in the open now, that it’s not just friendship gone sour.

“Wike has always called Seyi Makinde his in-law, given the fact that Makinde’s wife is from Rivers State. But as we know in politics, the only thing that is permanent is interest, no permanent friends or enemies,” he said.

READ ALSO: [2027] Wike Has Right To Support Tinubu, But I Will Not — Makinde

Ojo added that the public exchange has helped Nigerians better understand the roots of the PDP’s internal disputes, warning that unresolved tensions could have implications for the party’s prospects ahead of the 2027 elections.

“The gloves are off, and Nigerians are now better educated about the root causes. For those who are still waiting in the PDP, let’s see whether the issue will get resolved early enough for them not to lose their candidacy in 2027,” he said.

The analyst’s comments followed recent remarks by Governor Makinde, who openly disagreed with Wike over support for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general election.

At a media chat in Ibadan on Tuesday, Makinde said Wike could not dictate political choices to others, stressing that he would not back Tinubu’s re-election bid.

“I was in a meeting with President Tinubu, Nyesom Wike, and others when Wike volunteered to hold the PDP for Tinubu against 2027, and I was in shock. Wike can support the president in 2027, but I will not,” Makinde said.

He added that his priority was to ensure the survival of the PDP, urging the FCT minister to “allow us to make our choice”.

Both Makinde and Wike, alongside four other PDP governors, formed the G5 group that supported Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 presidential election, following disagreements over the PDP’s leadership and zoning arrangements.

However, relations between the two have since deteriorated, with the PDP suspending Wike and other prominent figures, including former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose, over alleged anti-party activities, allegations they have denied.

Despite the suspension, Wike has maintained that he remains a PDP member and has reiterated his intention to support Tinubu in 2027.