From last week, continues the  narrative on the rise and fall of political parties, with reference to the PDP whose chairman boasted in 2008 that it was going to be in power for the next 60 years. The party lost its dominance in 2015, paving the way for the emergence of the APC. 

The PDP governors in 2008 when Prince Ogbulafor made that prediction were Theodore Orji (Abia State), Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Timipre Sylvia (Bayelsa), Gabriel Suswam (Benue), Liyel Moke (Cross River), Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta), Martin Elechi (Ebonyi), Olusegun Oni (Ekiti), Sullivan Chime (Enugu), Mohammed Danjuma Goje (Gombe), Ikedi Ohakim (Imo), Sule Lamido (Jigawa) and Namadi Sambo (Kaduna).

Others were Ibrahim Shema (Katsina), Usman Saidu Nasamu Dakingari (Kebbi), Ibrahim Idris (Kogi), Bukola Saraki (Kwara), Aliyu Doma (Nasarawa), Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Gbenga Daniel (Ogun), Olusegun Agagu (Ondo), Olagunsoye Oyinlola (Osun), Christopher Alao-Akala (Oyo), Jonah David Jang (Plateau), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Aliyu Magatakarda Wamako (Sokoto), Danbaba Suntai (Taraba) and Mahmud Shinkafi (Zamfara).

At that time the AD governors were Babatunde Raji Fashola (Lagos), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Rauf Aregbesola (Osun) and Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole (Edo). Peter Obi was governor of Anambra (APGA); Isa Yuguda(ANPP) Bauchi; Ali Modu Sheriff (ANPP) Bornu; Ibrahim Shekarau (ANPP) Kano; Ibrahim Gaidam (ANPP) Yobe; Olusegun Mimiko(Labour Party) Ondo.

As of today, there are 22 states with APC governors, 12 states with PDP governors, one each with APGA, Labour and NNPP. The APC is yet to equal the feat achieved by the PDP in 2008. 

At present the governors are Alex Otti(Abia State) Labour Party; Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri(Adamawa) PDP; Umo Eno(Akwa Ibom) PDP; Charles Soludo (Anambra) APGA; Bala Muhammed (Bauchi) PDP; Douye Diri (Bayelsa) PDP; Hyacinth Alia (Benue) APC; Babagana Zulum (Borno) APC; Bassey Otu(Cross River) APC; Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta) PDP; Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi) APC; Monday Okpebholo(Edo)APC; Biodun Oyebanji(Ekiti) APC; Peter Mbah(Enugu) PDP; Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya(Gombe) APC; Hope Uzodimma(Imo) APC; Umar Namadi (Jigawa) APC; and Uba Sani(Kaduna) APC. 

Others are Abba Kabir Yusuf (Kano) New Nigeria Peoples Party; Dikko Umaru Radda(Katsina) APC; Nasir Idris(Kebbi) APC; Ahmed Usman Ododo(Kogi) APC; AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq(Kwara) APC; Babajide Sanwo-Olu(Lagos) APC; Abdullahi Sule(Nasarawa)—APC, Mohammed Umar Bago(Niger) APC; Dapo Abiodun(Ogun) APC; Lucky Aiyedatiwa(Ondo) APC; Ademola Adeleke(Osun) PDP; Seyi Makinde(Oyo) PDP; Caleb Mutfwang(Plateau) PDP; Siminalayi Fubara(Rivers) PDP; Ahmad Aliyu(Sokoto) APC; Agbu Kefas(Taraba) PDP; Mai Mala Buni(Yobe) APC; and Dauda Lawal(Zamfara) PDP.

The above may change when the gubernatorial election takes place in Anambra on November 6, 2025 this year, while that of Ekiti and Osun states will hold on July 14 and September 22 next year respectively. 

As of now most of the parties are in crisis, serious crisis including the APC. The worst hit is the PDP. I hope the PDP will not go the way of AD, ACN, ANPP and APP. The death of the All People’s Party, APP, is tragic. It was the second most powerful party in 1999. 

In the February 20, 1999 legislature elections, the APP won 20 out of the 109 Senate seats and 68 of the 360 seats in the House of Representatives. The presidential election, held on February 29, 1999, was won by PDP candidate Olusegun Obasanjo. He received 62.78 per cent of the vote compared to 37.22 per cent for the Olu Falae/Umaru Shinkafi ticket. The last functioning leader of the party was my close friend, Senator Mahmoud Waziri. Till he died we disagreed on how he ran the APP. Although he was compensated with the position of Special Adviser by President Olusegun Obasanjo, he felt uncomfortable. I cherished his friendship. Great soul from Yola. 

The party elected nine governors at that time. They were Mala Kachalla(Borno), Abubakar Abu Hasheed (Gombe), Ibrahin Samiru Turaki (Jigawa), Adamu Aliero (Kebbi), Abubakar Audu (Kogi), Muhammed Lawal (Kwara), Attahiru Bafarwa (Sokoto), Buka Abba Ibrahim (Yobe) and Ahmed Sani (Zamfara).

Tragically, the APP suffered factional split and contested the next round of elections in 2003 as the the All Nigerian People’s Party, ANPP.

The crisis of the PDP now is similar to that of APP. The possibility of PDP recapturing the Presidency which they lost almost ten years ago is remote. What can emerge is that a faction of the PDP and disgruntled elements in the APC and other parties may form a coalition to challenge the Presidential candidate of the APC in 2027. Definitely there will be a new alliance. That is the Nigerian way. The APC is not invincible, just as PDP was not ten years ago with its failing policies. 

Now there is a rush to enlist in the ruling party, the APC. At the second or third year of any Presidential tenure, this is a common occurrence. It is nothing new, we are used to it. It happened in 1981 during the tenure of President Usman Aliyu Shehu Shagari. I remember Alhaji Umaru Abdulrahman Dikko (31 December 1936 – 1 July 2014) from Wamba village near Zaria, the then Minister of Transport, boasting then that the NPN would rule forever. He told Chief Moshood Kashimawo Abiola GCFR (24 August 1937 – 7 July 1998) that there was no vacancy in the Presidency and that the Presidency was not for sale.

To be concluded 

•Teniola, a former director at the Presidency, wrote from Lagos.