Veteran journalist and politician, Dele Momodu, has declared that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been hijacked by agents of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), reducing the once-powerful opposition party to what he described as a political body in “Intensive Care Unit (ICU).”
Momodu made the statement on Monday while speaking on Channels Television’s programme, Sunrise Daily. The former PDP chieftain, who recently joined a coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), said he could no longer remain in the PDP because the party has lost direction and control.
“ADC is a coalition of different political parties and I resigned from the PDP because I saw that we have reached a kind of cul-de-sac,” Momodu said.
He claimed that some people within PDP are loyal to the APC but have refused to leave the party, choosing instead to sabotage it from within.
“PDP has been completely hijacked by agents of the ruling party, APC, who insist on staying in PDP while working for APC,” he said. “It’s a kind of anomaly, but it’s okay.”
Momodu, who contested the 2011 presidential election on the platform of the National Conscience Party (NCP), described his move to the ADC coalition as a strategic one. He said it is better to step away from a failing party than to remain and pretend everything is fine.
“If I don’t agree with my party, the honourable thing to do is to resign, and that’s what I did,” he said.
Momodu stated that he continues to monitor political developments in the PDP and other parties, and from what he has seen, the PDP may no longer be able to recover from the internal crisis it is facing.
“I’m also a journalist, so I monitor events in PDP and other political parties,” he said. “It’s almost certain that PDP will not be able to rescue itself from the agents of the ruling party, and that was why I left.”
He painted a grim picture of the PDP’s current state, describing it as being at a dead end and kept on life support for unknown political reasons.
“PDP is at the dead end. Some people are desperate. They don’t want to kill it completely but to keep it in the ICU for whatever purpose,” he said. “That is why they have refused to leave. They are using it as a cadaver room. It’s a shame.”
Dele Momodu is widely known in Nigeria for his work in journalism and publishing, especially as the CEO of Ovation International. He joined active politics in 2011 when he ran for president under the National Conscience Party (NCP), securing over 26,000 votes.
In recent years, he has been a vocal figure in the PDP and was actively involved in the 2023 election campaigns. However, he began to distance himself from the party following internal wrangling, poor election performance, and allegations of disloyalty within party ranks.
His move to the ADC coalition is seen by analysts as an effort to rally smaller opposition parties into a unified bloc ahead of future elections.
As of the time of this report, the PDP has not issued an official response to Momodu’s claims. However, insiders say the party is aware of growing concerns over infiltration and sabotage, particularly since its loss in the 2023 general elections.
Several members have expressed frustration over the party’s failure to unite or hold key figures accountable for anti-party activities. The situation has created a leadership vacuum, with many party loyalists either defecting or forming alliances elsewhere.
