Amid growing defections by high-profile politicians, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is preparing a sweeping overhaul of its South-South leadership in a last-ditch effort to salvage its crumbling base ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Party insiders say the move is aimed at flushing out members deemed disloyal, particularly those still occupying strategic positions while allegedly aligning with rival political interests.
This internal cleansing, sources say, is part of a larger plan to rebuild trust, assert discipline, and reestablish the PDP as a formidable opposition force.
A top member of the National Working Committee (NWC), name withheld, confirmed the development.
“This will not be business as usual. The party is clearly displeased with recent defections and is taking steps to stop the bleeding,” the source said. “We are beginning with the South-South, where most of these betrayals have originated.”
The latest wave of exits — including those of Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and his predecessor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa — has rocked the PDP to its core. Their public defection on April 23, followed by Akwa Ibom Governor Umo Eno’s switch on Saturday, has triggered an emergency rethink by the party’s leadership.
The NWC, the source added, has already launched legal action to challenge the defection of Oborevwori and Okowa, insisting that elected officials must not treat party loyalty as disposable.
“The case is in court. As for Governor Umo Eno, the party will make its position clear after the Sallah break. But make no mistake — there will be consequences.”
The PDP fears that many of its former governors and senior leaders who have now joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) still wield influence through loyalists embedded in PDP structures at both state and zonal levels.
This, according to party leaders, has created a paradox: defectors shaping strategy within the very party they left behind.
“The South-South leadership will be overhauled. Only loyal members will remain in charge. There’s no more space for opportunists who jump ship at the first sign of pressure,” the source added.
The crisis is the latest chapter in the PDP’s prolonged internal strife following its loss in the 2023 presidential election. Once dominant in the South-South, the party now finds itself cornered, losing its grip on states long considered its strongholds.
With at least two more governors rumoured to be in talks with the APC, the coming weeks may prove pivotal. Whether this purge will stabilize the PDP or deepen its fractures remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: the countdown to 2027 has already begun, and the PDP can no longer afford business as usual.