By Isaac Mission
Former Kogi State senator, Dino Melaye, has renewed his criticism of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), describing the opposition party as politically weakened and blaming some of its officials for its prolonged crisis.
Melaye made the remarks during an interview on the Kaa Truth Podcast, excerpts of which he shared on his official X account on Friday.
The former lawmaker revisited his 2023 prediction that the PDP had lost its political strength and insisted that subsequent events had proven his assessment correct.
According to Melaye, the party's current situation goes beyond internal disagreements, alleging that it was effectively handed over to President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
He specifically named Umar Damagum, Bature and Samuel Anyanwu, whom he identified as the party's interim national chairman, national secretary and national organising secretary respectively, as the individuals he believes were responsible.
Melaye alleged that the trio facilitated the party's decline and political realignment in favour of the APC.
He further accused former Rivers State Governor and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, of playing a role in the party's eventual collapse, describing his actions as coming after the PDP had already been weakened.
Reflecting on his earlier warnings, Melaye said he had faced criticism and insults when he publicly declared in September 2023 that the PDP was no longer politically viable.
He maintained that developments within the party since then had validated his position.
The former senator's comments come amid continuing disputes within the PDP over its leadership, internal organisation and political direction. The party has faced divisions involving competing factions and influential political figures, raising questions about its ability to maintain its position as a major opposition force ahead of future elections.
Melaye also referenced what he described as a Supreme Court pronouncement concerning the party, using it to reinforce his argument that the PDP's political decline had become evident.
However, the allegations against Damagum, Bature and Anyanwu are Melaye's claims and have not been established as facts in the account. The officials named, as well as Wike, would need to respond to the accusations.
Melaye's latest remarks are likely to fuel further debate over the PDP's crisis and whether its decline is primarily the result of internal leadership disputes, individual political interests, defections and realignments, or broader changes within Nigeria's opposition politics.