PDP from Dominance to death -

Asenexpress.com political analyst has taken satisfaction in the current state of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), after the party neglected advice during 2023 general election, party that once dominated Nigeria’s political landscape but now battling to remain major opposition party which was lost before contest due to a steep decline in influence.

For nearly two decades—from 1999 to 2015—the PDP stood as Nigeria’s most powerful political force. It controlled the presidency continuously during that period and held a commanding majority across the country’s political structures. At its peak, the party governed more than 25 of Nigeria’s 36 states and maintained strong control of the National Assembly of Nigeria, earning it the reputation of being Africa’s largest political party.

However, the political tide began to shift dramatically in 2015 when Buhari, running on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), defeated incumbent president Goodluck Jonathan. The victory marked the first time an opposition candidate unseated a sitting president in Nigeria’s democratic history. Since then, the PDP’s national dominance has steadily weakened.

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The party’s electoral strength has diminished significantly over the past decade. In the 2015 general elections, the PDP lost the presidency and several states to the APC coalition. By the 2019 elections, the party managed to retain control of roughly 14 states. After the 2023 general elections, that number fluctuated further due to negligence of advice which opened door for defections, legal battles, and shifting alliances in state politics.

In the National Assembly, the PDP has seen a great reduction in its legislative power. Once the overwhelming majority party in both chambers, it now holds far fewer seats compared to the APC and a growing number of smaller parties. The fragmentation of opposition votes and internal party disputes have further weakened its influence.

Asenexpress.com political Analysts widely attribute the PDP’s decline to persistent internal conflicts, leadership struggles, and frequent defections by high-profile politicians. Several governors, senators, and influential party figures have moved to rival parties weakening the PDP’s grassroots structures.

Factional disputes during primaries, disagreements between party leadership and governors, and unresolved regional tensions also eroded cohesion within the party. These crises often played out publicly, damaging the party’s image among voters.

At its height, the PDP famously declared that it would rule Nigeria for up to 60 years. Today, however, the party faces a different reality: rebuilding lost credibility, retaining the remaining two states, and repositioning itself as a viable opposition.

Political observers also revealed that PDP is not far from disappearing, it is no longer the leading opposition political machine, Nigeria’s political landscape has become more competitive and fragmented, with multiple parties and regional power blocs emerging with ADC and strategising to shape electoral outcomes.

According to asenexpress.com political analyst the PDP’s current situation serves as a reminder of how quickly political dominance can shift in Nigeria’s evolving democracy.