Senator Chris Ekpenyong, a founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State (1999–2007), has expressed alarm over the ongoing defection of prominent PDP leaders to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). In an interview on Saturday, April 26, 2025, Ekpenyong claimed that President Bola Tinubu has effectively “captured” the opposition party, predicting its struggle to recover.
The recent defections of Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, his deputy, Sir Monday Onyeme, and former Governor Senator Ifeanyi Okowa to the APC have deepened the crisis within the PDP. Ekpenyong warned that Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno may soon follow suit, further weakening the opposition.
Ekpenyong attributed the exodus to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s decision to pursue the PDP’s presidential candidacy again, which he said has alienated key party members. “Tinubu has killed the PDP. Everybody wanted Atiku to clearly state that he wasn’t going to contest, but his persistence has forced people to make their own decisions,” he stated. He argued that this has created a divide between the North and South, severely undermining the party’s unity.
The senator also criticized the PDP’s leadership structure, blaming founding leaders like former President Olusegun Obasanjo for handing control to state governors, a move he called a critical error. “The first mistake PDP made was handing over the party to the governors,” Ekpenyong said, noting that only a few, like the late Chief Sunday Awoniyi and former Vice President Alex Ekwueme, resisted this shift.
Ekpenyong expressed pessimism about the PDP’s future, stating, “The party has been destroyed. I honestly don’t know how they can rebuild it to challenge the APC.” He lamented that influential figures within the party are no longer engaged, leaving the PDP vulnerable as the next election approaches.
