A senior chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Segun Sowunmi, has attributed the party’s persistent challenges to a lack of internal reform, emphasising that the problem is structural rather than the result of individual failings.
Speaking in an interview on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television on Tuesday, Sowunmi insisted that blaming specific personalities for the party’s difficulties is misguided. According to him, the PDP’s focus should be on strengthening institutional processes rather than pointing fingers.
“Essentially, the major issue of the PDP is reform. The problem of the PDP is not pointing accusing fingers at one person, insisting that one person has caused it. Others are saying one person is the devil,” Sowunmi said.
He noted that the lack of robust internal processes has allowed behaviours and practices that would be unthinkable in well-structured organisations. “You need to look at the process you’re running and ask yourself why is it possible if we appointed you as the chairman of the Federal Reserve in America, you would dare not do the kinds of things we hear the people here do, because the processes do not give room for that kind of madness,” he added.
Sowunmi also highlighted the PDP’s long history and its time in government as opportunities that should have been used to build institutional memory and implement reforms. “If you are running a 20-year-old party and have had the benefit of 16 years of being in charge, you should have had some institutional memories of all of these kinds of issues,” he said.
He urged party members to use periods in opposition strategically to “reform, repair and recreate” the party, rather than focusing solely on political battles. Sowunmi further acknowledged the dedication of party members, noting that those actively involved in internal disputes are often the most committed. “I must concede that the ones that are fighting on both sides are pretty much people that have been committed to the PDP,” he said.
Political analysts have repeatedly warned that the PDP must undergo internal restructuring to remain competitive in Nigeria’s increasingly complex political landscape. Sowunmi’s comments underscore a growing consensus among party insiders that reform is critical to revitalising the party’s fortunes ahead of future elections.
