Expired Mandates Must Go: A Call for Rebirth in the People’s Democratic Party

By George Omagbemi Sylvester

In a country grappling with the deepest crises of its post-independence history, ranging from economic despair to democratic regression, there is no space for expired mandates or recycled leadership. Yet, within the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), both at home and in the diaspora, many individuals who have long outlived their political relevance continue to occupy leadership positions. These individuals, once symbols of hope, have now become obstacles to progress, clinging to power not for service but for self-preservation.

The time has come to say it clearly and without apology: they must go. Nigeria cannot afford another electoral cycle wasted on nostalgia and recycled strategies. The PDP must embark on a painful but necessary ideological and structural rebirth. If we are to remain a viable political force capable of saving Nigeria from the catastrophic misrule of the All Progressives Congress (APC), then we must begin by purging our ranks of dead weight.

When Leadership Becomes Liability
True leadership is tested not during times of ease, but in moments of national adversity. Sadly, during some of Nigeria’s darkest moments, when the people needed courage, clarity and conviction, many of the PDP’s so-called leaders were either silent, complicit or comfortably absent. While Nigerians suffered the brunt of failed policies, currency freefall, widespread kidnappings and systemic corruption under APC rule since 2015, these leaders were either engaged in backdoor negotiations or gracing dinners hosted by the same regime they were elected to challenge.

This betrayal is not merely political; it is moral. The PDP was founded as a platform for justice, inclusion and national development. Its current condition, tainted by the complicity and cowardice of career politicians, is a disgrace to that vision. Rather than resist tyranny, these political merchants have preferred transactional alliances, preferring personal gain over public good.

Opposition Is Not a Hobby: It Is a Calling
Politics in a democracy, especially from the opposition bench, is not for the faint-hearted. It requires backbone, vision and a readiness to speak truth to power, even at personal cost. But in Nigeria, opposition politics has too often been reduced to empty press releases, Twitter activism and superficial coalition-building that collapses at the scent of political appeasement. The PDP’s most vocal moments seem to come only during electoral seasons, when contracts are on the line and tickets are up for grabs.

This is not opposition, it is opportunism.

Since the APC took power in 2015, Nigeria has faced an alarming regression on nearly every front. Our economy, once Africa’s largest, now wallows in inflation, unemployment and a crumbling Naira. Insecurity has turned vast swathes of the country into killing fields. Democratic institutions have been weakened and civil liberties trampled. And yet, the PDP has not offered the formidable resistance expected of a party with its legacy. Where was the outrage when election results were manipulated? Where was the coordination when court orders were disobeyed or when citizens were gunned down during peaceful protests?

Far too often, PDP leaders have failed to meet the moment. Instead of organizing sustained campaigns against injustice, they were busy negotiating political appointments, forming alliances of convenience or going mute entirely.

The Curse of Recycled Leadership
Nigeria suffers not from a lack of talent, but from the stranglehold of geriatric politics. The same names dominate the PDP’s leadership structure year after year, individuals more committed to preserving their influence than solving Nigeria’s problems. Their ideas are outdated, their rhetoric tired and their loyalty questionable. These figures are relics of a past that Nigerians are desperately trying to escape.

It is this recycling of failed politicians that keeps the party in perpetual crisis. These individuals cling to “UNITY” not as a principle of inclusion, but as a euphemism for entitlement. They manipulate internal processes, undermine youth participation and resist reform. Their refusal to exit the stage is not only selfish; it is dangerous. They have nothing more to offer but delays, distractions and diluted strategies.

A Generational Reawakening
The PDP must now prioritize generational transition; not as a symbolic gesture, but as a matter of strategic survival. The future of opposition in Nigeria depends on the rise of a new crop of leaders, men and women who are untainted by the corruption of the past and committed to confronting the APC with courage, clarity and creativity.

We must restructure our internal systems to promote merit, innovation and grassroots participation. The party must become a sanctuary for activists, youth leaders, technocrats and political reformers, individuals who are willing to stake their reputations and risk personal comfort in service to the people. We need leaders who do not seek comfort in compromise but purpose in resistance.

This change must start from the ward level to the National Working Committee. The culture of “godfatherism,” imposition and shadow deals must end. If we fail to democratize our own party, how can we claim to defend democracy in Nigeria?

Rebirth Through Accountability
Rebuilding the PDP means going beyond slogans. It means instituting a new culture of accountability. Those who failed the party during our most difficult battles must not be rewarded with tickets or appointments. They must be named and shamed. Loyalty must no longer be measured by years of membership, but by years of service, sacrifice and substance.

PDP must also return to issue-based politics. Nigerians are tired of empty rhetoric. We must present comprehensive, bold and practical policy alternatives, from security reform to youth employment, education, healthcare and digital economy development. We must use every avenue/parliament, media, civil society, diaspora networks to expose the failures of the APC and champion workable solutions.

From Diaspora to National Action
This call also extends to the diaspora chapters of the PDP, many of which have devolved into echo chambers dominated by career politicians abroad. The diaspora should be a nerve center of innovation, advocacy and global lobbying for Nigerian democracy, not a retirement plan for political patrons. Our foreign chapters must become engines of ideas, funding and advocacy/not gossip centers filled with expired politicians chasing diplomatic appointments.

Let the new wave of diasporans be bridge-builders between Nigeria and global best practices. Let them lead policy conversations, support grassroots mobilization and raise the intellectual bar of opposition politics.

Time to Clear the Stage:
Nigeria is at a historic crossroads. The APC has failed, but failure alone does not translate to victory for the PDP. Only a credible, dynamic and forward-looking PDP can offer the country a genuine alternative. That journey begins by asking those who have failed the test of leadership to step aside.

This is not a personal attack; it is a patriotic call. If you failed to defend Nigerians in their hour of need, if your legacy is more betrayal than bravery, then the time has come to go.

Let the PDP be reborn through truth, not tokenism. Let it be restructured around the people, not personalities. Let us build a party where conviction overrides convenience and where service, not survival, is the goal.

Let the expired mandates go. Nigeria’s future cannot wait.