By Otunba Segun Akanle
As Nigerians mark another anniversary of June 12, the day that symbolizes the people’s unbroken desire for democracy, it is worth asking a difficult question: Can the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) draw strength from the spirit of June 12 to reinvent itself or has it already lost the moral authority to lead?
The answer lies not in sentiment, but in hard political truths.
Once the dominant force in Nigeria’s democracy, the PDP ruled for sixteen years from 1999 to 2015 before its fall from grace. Today, it remains a shell of what it once was: fractured by defections, stripped of ideological clarity, and seemingly out of sync with the mood of the nation.
This is not just about electoral losses. The PDP, in its current form, is battling for survival in a political climate that increasingly rewards authenticity, youth engagement, and grassroots connection, all values rooted in the spirit of June 12.
Where the PDP Lost Its Way
The decline of the PDP did not happen overnight. Years of godfatherism, weak internal democracy, and elite-driven politics steadily eroded its base. Rather than learning from defeat in 2015, the party largely doubled down on its old ways, trading ideology for expedience and loyalty for opportunism.
Today, the PDP hemorrhages members to wherever power resides, the APC, the rising Labour Party, or regional movements. This fluidity has turned the party into a transit lounge for political ambition, rather than a credible alternative for Nigerians hungry for change.
Even worse, the party appears to have lost the moral compass needed to speak boldly on national issues whether it’s electoral reform, economic inequality, security failures, or the rights of marginalized citizens. Where the APC often blames the past, and the Labour Party tries to shape the future, the PDP increasingly seems stuck in a political no-man’s land.
What June 12 Demands
June 12 is not merely a date on the calendar. It represents a democratic ideal, the collective will of the people triumphing over military tyranny and elite manipulation. It is about sacrifice, accountability, and the pursuit of a better Nigeria, no matter the cost.
If the PDP is to find relevance again, it must return to these values — not in theory, but in practice.
This means:
Reforming its internal processes to reflect true democracy; ending the imposition of candidates and empowering grassroots voices.
Defining a clear ideological direction rooted in social justice, inclusivity, and anti-corruption, not just opposition for opposition’s sake.
Engaging Nigeria’s youth, civil society, and disenchanted voters with sincerity; not as a strategy, but as a necessity.
Building principled coalitions, not transactional pacts with credible movements, reform-minded leaders, and repentant defectors willing to chart a new path.
The Road Ahead
There is still a window for the PDP to transform. But time is not on its side.
As Nigeria looks ahead to 2027 and beyond, the political terrain is shifting rapidly. Youth-led movements are more politically conscious. Regional interests are more assertive. Voters are more demanding. The next decade will not reward nostalgia or entitlement, it will reward clarity, courage, and connection.
The PDP must decide whether it wants to remain a relic of Nigeria’s democratic past, or evolve into a credible force for its democratic future.
June 12 offers more than remembrance. For the PDP, it offers a moral and symbolic path to redemption but only if the party chooses principle over power, people over personality, and reform over routine.
If it does, it may yet rise again not as the PDP of old, but as a renewed voice in the ongoing battle for the soul of Nigeria.