Anambra 2025: PDP Struggles as APC, APGA Gear Up for Governorship Race

With the Anambra governorship election set for November 8, political parties are intensifying their preparations, but the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), once a dominant force in the state, appears to be in disarray.

In the 2021 election, PDP fielded the highest number of aspirants, including prominent politicians such as Uche Ekwunife, Obiora Okonkwo, and Valentine Ozigbo. The primary election, held at the Prof. Dora Akunyili Women’s Development Centre, was highly competitive, with Ozigbo emerging as the winner in a contest many believed was manipulated. This led to internal divisions, with several aspirants and their supporters defecting to other parties, ultimately weakening PDP’s chances.

As the 2025 election approaches, the party seems absent from the race. With the deadline for purchasing nomination and expression of interest forms expiring, PDP has only one registered aspirant, Hon. Jude Ezenwafor, whom insiders describe as a proxy candidate. A visit to the party’s secretariat at Udoka Housing Estate in Awka revealed an inactive office, overgrown with weeds and covered in dust, a stark contrast to the bustling activities seen in other party offices.

Sources within the party attribute this decline to internal crises and dwindling popularity, making it unappealing for aspirants to invest N40 million in securing a ticket. A party insider alleged that Ezenwafor’s candidacy is merely a strategic move by an APC aspirant looking to create a backup option in case he loses his primary election.

Despite the party’s struggles, its chairman in Anambra, Chief Chidi Chidebe, remains optimistic. He noted that efforts are underway to revive PDP by reaching out to aggrieved members across the country. According to him, several standing committees, including grassroots mobilization and media strategy, have been set up to restructure the party.

However, the party’s credibility continues to be questioned, with young people making jokes about PDP’s struggles, even designing fake campaign posters of themselves as candidates. Some political observers argue that PDP’s former strongmen have moved to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and may destabilize that party as well.

PDP’s crisis deepened further following a Supreme Court ruling on its National Secretary position. While Senator Samuel Anyanwu claimed victory, the party’s leadership also celebrated the ruling, asserting that it affirmed SKE Ude-Okoye as the rightful secretary. This ongoing leadership struggle further complicates the party’s ability to mount a serious challenge in the upcoming election.