By Chris Osa Nehikhare
February 20,2026.
For the Sake of Our History. For the Sake of Our Future.
To the Esteemed Leaders of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP.
I write not in anger, but in pain.
Not in rebellion, but in loyalty.
Not in despair, but in hope.
For nearly three decades, our great party has stood as a pillar in Nigeria’s democratic journey. From the dawn of the Fourth Republic in 1999, when we produced President Olusegun Obasanjo, to the stabilizing years of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, and the transformative administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, the PDP was not merely a political party — it was a national movement.
We built institutions.
We strengthened democratic culture. We handed over power peacefully in 2015 — a feat that etched our name in gold in Africa’s democratic history.
Today, however, that same party is bleeding.
For the past three years, we have watched with heartbreak as internal quarrels, endless litigation, suspensions, counter-suspensions, and ego-driven battles have reduced a once-formidable political machine into a spectacle.
We, the ordinary members — the grassroots mobilizers, the polling unit warriors, the faithful who defend the party in marketplaces, campuses, streets, and online spaces — have become the butt of jokes.
Yet we stayed.
When some of those we gave mandates to abandoned us, we stayed.
When factions rose and multiplied, we stayed.
When public confidence waned, we defended the indefensible.
When loyalty became unfashionable, we remained committed.
But let it be said clearly: our loyalty has been tested. Severely.
Just days ago, the President assented to a new Electoral Act that will guide the next general elections. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) stands at the brink of releasing a revised timetable. The nation is preparing. Political actors are strategizing. Coalitions are forming.
And we?
We are still fighting ourselves.
This is not sustainable.
Leadership is not merely about titles secured through litigation; it is about responsibility to millions whose political destinies are tied to the decisions taken in conference rooms and courtrooms.
We therefore make this passionate appeal:
Whoever the Appeal Court declares as the legitimate leader of our party must be immediately recognized and supported by all. No parallel structures. No shadow leadership. No ego-driven resistance.
The time for war within must end.
The time for preparation must begin.
If we fail to unite now, we risk not only electoral defeat — we risk political irrelevance. And history will not be kind to those who presided over the decline of the very platform that once governed Nigeria for sixteen years.
Our history is illustrious.
Our structures remain the most widespread in the country.
Our membership base is deep and organic.
But history alone cannot win elections. Unity can. Preparation can. Discipline can.
We ask our leaders:
Do not toy with the future of faithful members who have invested years of their lives, resources, and reputations in this party. Do not mortgage the destiny of young aspirants, women leaders, ward executives, and party elders who still believe in the ideals of the PDP.
If the quarrels continue, what message are we sending to the Nigerian people?
If litigation becomes our primary strategy, what campaign shall we run?
If we cannot manage ourselves, how do we convince Nigerians we can manage a nation?
This is a defining moment.
Let us close ranks.
Let us respect the rule of law.
Let us rally behind one leadership.
Let us immediately commence reconciliation, restructuring, mobilization, and preparation for the general elections.
Except, of course, there is no desire for us — the organic supporters and committed members across the country — to participate meaningfully in the coming elections.
It hurts to even suggest that possibility.
But our pain must be heard.
We remain PDP.
We remain loyal.
We remain hopeful.
Now we ask our leaders to remain responsible.
History is watching.
Nigeria is watching.
And the faithful are waiting.
For the sake of our past.
For the sake of our future.
Signed,
Chris Osa Nehikhare
A Loyal and Concerned Member
On behalf of countless faithful across the federation.
