Abuja, Nigeria — A prominent Nigerian lawmaker has revealed that the country’s main opposition group, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has lost 31 of its members in the Nigerian Senate due to a prolonged internal leadership crisis.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents the Kogi Central senatorial district in central Nigeria, shared the figures on Saturday, March 21, 2026. She spoke in Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria, during the official launch of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Convention Committee. Okay News reports that party leaders view this committee as a vital step toward rebuilding unity and repositioning the opposition ahead of future elections.
In a statement released on Sunday, March 22, 2026, at approximately 3:55 pm West Africa Time (WAT) by her media assistant, Mike Idoko, the senator expressed deep concern over the massive departures that have severely weakened the party’s legislative presence.
Addressing party members and the press, she remained optimistic that the committee’s launch represents a positive turning point.
“Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I would say I’m extremely elated tonight simply because we have a political party,” she said. “Congratulations to everyone here today. I know it’s not been easy. We’ve been on the news back and forth, and that has kept a lot of people wondering what befalls the PDP.”
The senator detailed the rapid decline in the party’s representation, linking it directly to recent leadership struggles.
“When I joined, it was late November 2023. We were 37 PDP senators. But today we’re only six. I tell you, it wasn’t easy,” she noted.
According to the lawmaker, many of her colleagues explicitly cited internal disputes as their reason for leaving. Believing these issues are now resolved, she extended an invitation for them to return.
“When I asked a few of them why they were leaving the party, they mentioned the leadership crisis,” she said.
During the same event, Okezie Ikpeazu, the former governor of Abia State in southeastern Nigeria, delivered his inaugural speech as the Chairman of the 2026 National Convention Committee. He described the gathering as a critical juncture in the political organization’s history.
“Today is not just ceremonial, it is consequential. This convention is more than a gathering; it is a reckoning. A moment of truth,” Ikpeazu declared.
He acknowledged the significant internal challenges and a lengthy legal dispute that moved from the Federal High Court to the Court of Appeal in Nigeria. Ikpeazu noted that the recent court validation of the party’s National Caretaker Working Committee is a much-needed opportunity for political renewal.
“What the PDP needs at this moment is honest reconciliation, rooted in truth, driven by sincerity, and sustained by mutual respect,” Ikpeazu said.
The chairman instructed political stakeholders from all 36 Nigerian states and the Federal Capital Territory to support the rebuilding process with discipline. The ultimate mission, he explained, is to deliver a widely accepted convention that will produce a credible National Working Committee to prepare the party for victory in the 2027 general elections.
