Anambra 2025: PDP Struggles to Stay Afloat as Rivals Gain Ground

With the Anambra 2025 governorship election scheduled for November 8, political parties are actively preparing for the race. However, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), once a formidable force in the state’s political landscape, appears to be slipping into obscurity as both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) move ahead with strategic planning.

In 2021, PDP boasted the highest number of governorship aspirants—ten in total—including some of Anambra’s most prominent political figures such as Uche Ekwunife, Obiora Okonkwo, Chris Azugbogu, Winston Udeh, and Valentine Ozigbo. The primary election, held at the Prof. Dora Akunyili Women’s Development Centre, was marked by intense competition and internal wrangling. Although Ozigbo emerged as the party’s flag bearer in what many viewed as a transparent process, allegations of manipulation fractured the party. Disgruntled aspirants and their supporters defected to other parties, dealing a major blow to PDP’s chances at the polls.

Now, as the 2025 race gathers momentum, PDP finds itself struggling to stay relevant. With the deadline for the purchase of nomination forms passed, only one aspirant—Hon. Jude Ezenwafor—has picked up a form, sparking speculation that he is merely a placeholder for an APC hopeful seeking to destabilize the PDP from within.

A visit to the party’s secretariat at Udoka Housing Estate in Awka revealed a grim picture: overgrown weeds, dust-covered furniture, and an absence of political activity. Sources within the party say interest has dwindled sharply due to internal crises and a general decline in public confidence. The cost of the nomination form—pegged at N40 million by the national leadership—has also reportedly deterred serious contenders.

Despite the bleak outlook, the state chairman of PDP, Chief Chidi Chidebe, insists the party is undergoing internal rebuilding. Since taking office in November 2024, he claims to have initiated efforts to reconcile aggrieved members and reinvigorate the party through standing committees focused on grassroots mobilization, policy planning, media outreach, and elder engagement. According to Chidebe, the new structure is designed to ensure inclusiveness and long-term sustainability rather than temporary fixes.

Although no major aspirant has publicly declared interest under the PDP banner, Chidebe maintains that the party will field a credible candidate. He urged observers to watch closely as potential contenders quietly position themselves.

Meanwhile, public perception of the PDP continues to decline. In what has become a social media trend, young people in Anambra have begun jokingly posting self-made campaign posters, mocking the party’s weakened state. One youth remarked that the PDP has lost its credibility and that its former heavyweights have migrated to APC—potentially setting the stage for similar turmoil in their new political home.

The party’s troubles were further compounded by the recent Supreme Court ruling on its national secretaryship dispute. While Senator Samuel Anyanwu hailed the verdict as a personal win, party officials claimed the ruling validated SKE Ude-Okoye as the legitimate secretary, further highlighting the leadership confusion within PDP.

As APC and APGA intensify preparations ahead of the November polls, the PDP seems adrift—grappling with internal disarray, dwindling grassroots presence, and a rapidly fading influence in Anambra politics.