Peoples Democratic Party | |
|---|---|
.png) | |
| National Chairman | Dr. Kabiru. Tanimu Turaki. (SAN)[1] |
| Deputy National Chairman South | Taofeek Arapaja |
| Acting National Secretary | [2][3] |
| Chairman ofGovernors Forum | Bala Mohammed |
| Founded | 1998; 28 years ago (1998) |
| Headquarters | Wadata Plaza, Michael Okpara Way, Wuse Zone 5,Abuja |
| Ideology | Social conservatism Economic liberalism |
| Political position | Centre-right[4] |
| Regional affiliation | Democrat Union of Africa |
| Colours | Green,white,red |
| Slogan | Power to the people |
| Seats in theSenate | 26 / 109 |
| Seats in theHouse | 72 / 360 |
| Governorships | 4 / 36 |
| Seats in stateHouses of Assembly | 329 / 991 |
| Website | |
| peoplesdemocraticparty | |
ThePeoples Democratic Party (PDP) is one of thetwomajor contemporarypolitical parties in Nigeria,[5] along with its main rival, theAll Progressives Congress (APC).[6][5][7]
Its policies generally lie towards thecenter-right of thepolitical spectrum.[4] It won everypresidential election between 1999 and 2011. Until the2015 elections,[8] it was the governing party in theFourth Republic, although sometimes amid a few controversial electoral circumstances.[9][5]
In 1998, the PDP in its first presidential primary election held inJos,Plateau State,North Central Nigeria nominated former military leaderOlusegun Obasanjo who had just been released from detention aspolitical prisoner[10] as the presidential candidate in the elections of February 1999, withAtiku Abubakar (Governor-Elect ofAdamawa State and a former leading member of theSocial Democratic Party) as his running mate. They won the presidential election and were inaugurated on 29 May 1999.[11]
In thelegislative election held on 12 April 2003, the party won 54.5% of the popular vote and 223 out of 360 seats in theHouse of Representatives, and 76 out of 109 seats in theSenate. Its candidate in the presidential election of 19 April 2003, Olusegun Obasanjo, was re-elected with 61.9% of the vote.[12] In December 2006,Umaru Yar'Adua (formerly of the Peoples Redemption Party and theSocial Democratic Party) was chosen as the presidential candidate of the ruling PDP for theApril 2007 general election, receiving 3,024 votes from party delegates; his closest rival,Rochas Okorocha, received only 372 votes.[13] Yar'Adua was eventually declared the winner of the 2007 general elections, held on April 21, and was sworn in on May 29, 2007, amid widespread allegations ofelectoral fraud.[14] In theNigerian National Assembly election, the party won 260 out of 360 seats in theHouse of Representatives and 85 out of 109 seats in theSenate.[15] At the PDP's 2008 National Convention, it chose PrinceVincent Ogbulafor as its National Chairman on March 8, 2008.[16][17] Ogbulafor, who was the PDP's National Secretary from 2001 to 2005, was the party's consensus choice for the position of National Chairman, selected as an alternative to the rival leading candidatesSam Egwu (who was backed by Obasanjo) andAnyim Pius Anyim.[18] All 26 other candidates, including Egwu and Anyim, withdrew in favor of Ogbulafor. Meanwhile, Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje was elected as National Secretary.[17]
In 2011, after the Peoples Democratic Party saw members defect for theAction Congress of Nigeria, some political commentators suspected that the PDP would lose the Presidency.[19][20] Following PDP candidateGoodluck Jonathan's victory in the2011 election, it was reported that there were violent protests from northern youth.[21]
The longtime slogan of the PDP is "Power to the people".[22] During the party'sNational Convention inPort Harcourt,Rivers State on 21 May 2016,David Mark, a formerPresident of the Senate of Nigeria, introduced "Change the change" as the party's campaign slogan for the 2019 general elections.[23] However, in 2018, the chairman of the party's board of trustees stated that neither the slogan nor the party's umbrella symbol would be changed.
The party has aneoliberal stance in its economic policies and maintains aconservative stance on certain social issues, such assame-sex relations.[24][25]
The PDP favorsfree-market policies which supporteconomic liberalism, and limited government regulation. In 2003, PresidentOlusegun Obasanjo and Finance MinisterNgozi Okonjo-Iweala embarked on an economic reform program, which reduced government spending throughconservative fiscal policies and saw thederegulation andprivatization of numerous industries in Nigerian services sector — notably theNigerian Telecommunications (NITEL) industry.[26] On the other hand, the PDP adopts a more leftist stance towards poverty and welfare. In 2005, President Obasanjo launched Nigeria's firstNational Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to ensure that every Nigerian has access to basic health care services.[27]
The PDP strives to maintain the status quo on oil revenue distribution. Though the PDP government set up theNiger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to address the needs of the oil-producingNiger Delta states, it has rebuffed repeated efforts to revert to the 50% to 50% federal-to-state government revenue allocation agreement established in 1966 during theFirst Republic.[28]
The PDP is against same-sex relations and favorssocial conservatism on moral and religious grounds. In 2007, the PDP-dominatedNational Assembly sponsored a bill to outlawhomosexual relations, making it punishable by law for up to 14 years in prison.[29]
The party is a moderate advocate of state autonomy andreligious freedom for the Nigerianstates. In the year 2000, the introduction ofIslamic law in some states inNorthern Nigeria triggered sectarianviolence inKaduna andAbia states. The PDP-led federal government refused to bow to pressure from the southern, predominantlyChristian states to repeal the law and instead opted for acompromise where Islamic law would only apply toMuslims.[30]
Tunde Ayeni, chairman of the PDP fundraising event in December 2014 who donated N2 billion, was involved in the mismanagement of the bank's funds.[31]
In the2015 elections, the incumbentpresident and PDP presidential nominee,Goodluck Jonathan, was defeated by GeneralMuhammadu Buhari of theAll Progressives Congress by 55% to 45%, losing by 2.6 million votes out of approximately 28.6 million valid votes cast. Out ofNigeria's 36 states and theFederal Capital Territory, GeneralMuhammadu Buhari won 21 states, while PresidentGoodluck Jonathan won 15 states and theFederal Capital Territory.[32]
In the2019 elections which was won by then-incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, former vice president and PDP presidential candidateAtiku Abubakar, together with his party, rejected the outcome of the elections asINEC was yet to conclude the process and make an official pronouncement. On 25 February, PDP National Party Chair PrinceUche Secondus alleged that the result as announced by INEC were incorrect.[33]
Godwin Obaseki won re-election as the Governor ofEdo State on 20 September2020. PDP won with 307,955 votes, defeating sixteen opponents. Security was tight, and voters took health precautions in the wake of theCOVID-19 pandemic that had infected 57,000 and killed 1,100.[34]
| Election | Party candidate | Running mate | Votes | % | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Olusegun Obasanjo | Atiku Abubakar | 18,738,154 | 62.78% | Elected Y |
| 2003 | 24,456,140 | 61.94% | ElectedY | ||
| 2007 | Umaru Yar'Adua | Goodluck Jonathan | 24,638,063 | 69.82% | ElectedY |
| 2011 | Goodluck Jonathan | Namadi Sambo | 22,495,187 | 58.89% | ElectedY |
| 2015 | 12,853,162 | 44.96% | Lost N | ||
| 2019 | Atiku Abubakar | Peter Obi | 11,262,978 | 41.22% | LostN |
| 2023 | Ifeanyi Okowa | 6,984,520 | 29.07% | LostN |
| Election | House of Representatives | Senate | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Seats | +/– | Position | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | Position | |
| 1999 | 57.1% | 206 / 360 |  206 | 1st | 56.4% | 59 / 109 | 59 | 1st | ||
| 2003 | 15,927,807 | 54.49% | 223 / 360 | 17 |  1st | 15,585,538 | 53.69% | 76 / 109 | 17 | 1st |
| 2007 | 262 / 360 | 39 | 1st | 85 / 109 | 9 | 1st | ||||
| 2011 | 13,312,817 | 46.63% | 203 / 360 |  59 | 1st | |||||
| 2015 | 140 / 360 | 63 | 2nd | 49 / 109 | 15 | 2nd | ||||
| 2019 | 11,283,714 | 41.34% | 115 / 360 | 25 | 2nd | 11,608,069 | 41.87% | 45 / 109 | 4 | 2nd |
| 2023 | 119 / 360 | 4 | 2nd | 37 / 109 | 8 | 2nd | ||||
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