Former Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson, has declared that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is effectively “dead,” citing deep-rooted internal crises and leadership failures.
Dickson made the remarks during an appearance on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television, where he stated that the party he once belonged to has lost its relevance.
“The PDP that I came to be part of has since been killed and buried,” he said.
He lamented that the party has lost its identity and no longer reflects the platform Nigerians once entrusted with power. According to him, although the PDP previously produced successive presidents — including Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, and Goodluck Jonathan — its current structure has deviated significantly from its founding ideals.
“Three presidents were elected back-to-back, but what is left now clearly cannot be that same party,” he added.
Dickson argued that the crisis within the PDP could have been avoided if party leaders had embraced compromise and prioritized collective interests over personal ambition. He noted that persistent disagreements and the unwillingness of key stakeholders to make concessions worsened the situation.
“People must be reasonable and place the interest of the party and the country above personal ambition,” he said.
He further revealed that several efforts to stabilise the party, including proposals for a caretaker arrangement, were ignored.
“There were chances that we could rescue the party, but those options were not taken,” he stated.
Dickson explained that he remained in the PDP for years in the hope that it could be salvaged, participating in multiple reconciliation efforts which ultimately failed.
“I have chaired reconciliation committees under different leaderships, so I understand the party’s strengths and weaknesses. It won’t be correct to say that I left the PDP. Unfortunately, the PDP has left us,” he said.
He concluded that the party has lost both its structure and leadership direction, describing its decline as a setback for Nigeria’s democracy.
On his next political move, Dickson disclosed that he has joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), which he described as an emerging opposition platform. He added that the party would focus on grassroots development rather than rushing into political coalitions.
