The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kabiru Turaki, has said there is a growing public desire for the opposition party to return to power in the 2027 general elections.
Turaki made the assertion on Tuesday in Abuja while addressing former governors and ministers who served under the PDP during its years in government.
He described the party’s 16-year rule from 1999 to 2015 as a period marked by significant national progress and effective governance.
According to him, the PDP remains the only political party Nigerians are eager to see back at the helm of affairs, citing its record of electoral success and policy achievements.
“The PDP was the first party to win four consecutive elections in Nigeria and to lay the foundation for modern governance in this country,” Turaki said. “Nigerians are yearning for the party to return because of the impact it made during those years.”
He noted that for the PDP to reclaim power at both national and sub-national levels, it must adopt a new approach that reconnects the party with citizens.
Turaki maintained that many of the policies and projects initiated under PDP administrations continue to benefit Nigerians years after the party left office.
Despite sustained criticism of the party’s past record, Turaki said Nigerians remain nostalgic about the relationship PDP governments built with the electorate, pointing to achievements such as economic growth, debt relief, infrastructure development and the strengthening of key institutions.
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Also speaking at the meeting, former Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu, who represented ex-PDP governors, accused the current federal administration of using state institutions to weaken opposition voices.
He warned that the alleged intimidation of opposition figures and the defection of politicians to the ruling party could push Nigeria toward a one-party system, which he described as a threat to democratic freedoms.
In his remarks, former Kano State Governor Ibrahim Shekarau, speaking on behalf of former PDP ministers, urged party members to remain united and focused on national development.
Shekarau called on party leaders not to be discouraged by criticism, describing those present as key contributors to Nigeria’s political and developmental history.