A former Minister of Police Affairs and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Adamu Waziri, has called for the urgent repositioning of the party to reclaim its role as Nigeria’s leading opposition platform ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Waziri made the call on Friday in Potiskum, Yobe State, shortly after addressing party stakeholders from across the state.
He noted that the PDP was grappling with serious internal challenges that were affecting its capacity to function as a credible opposition.
“Peoples Democratic Party is going through a lot of trials and tribulations. We have leadership problems and the party needs to be repositioned to play its role as the leading opposition, especially to address the problems afflicting Nigeria, in 2027,” Waziri said.
The former minister emphasized that democracy cannot thrive without a vibrant opposition, admitting that the PDP had “failed woefully” in its responsibility to offer Nigerians a viable alternative.
Amid rumours of his alleged defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Waziri used the occasion to set the record straight.
“I have come to my people to dispel the rumour that I have defected to APC. That is not true,” he stated.
He explained that although he is actively involved in the ongoing coalition and merger talks among political actors across party lines, his role is not an official representation of the PDP.
“I am very much involved in the coalition and merger talks involving members of PDP, APC, Labour Party and other political groups who are trying to build a strong political platform that can deliver credible candidates in 2027.
“But I am not in the talks representing PDP. I am there as a Nigerian, a democrat with an inalienable right to associate and express my views,” he clarified.
Waziri added that he felt obligated to keep his supporters across Yobe and beyond informed about his national political engagements.
“I am confident of the support I have, both within and outside the PDP in Yobe. I came here to brief them so that when decisions are eventually taken, they will not say I did not carry them along,” he said.
On the matter of the PDP’s national leadership, he reaffirmed that the party’s constitution provides a clear mechanism for succession.
“The PDP constitution is clear; if anything happens to the national chairman, the deputy national chairman takes over in an acting capacity until the zone that produced the original chairman nominates a replacement,” he explained.
Waziri, a respected figure in Yobe politics, urged party members to remain united and committed to the democratic process in their collective effort to rescue Nigeria.
