One of the chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party and a former aide to former President, Goodluck Jonathan, Doyin Okupe has dumped the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Okupe in a facebook post seen by this website said “ it is with deep regret that I Publicly announce my resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP”
He said the PDP no longer exists in his ward as a single unified party as it was when he joined it.
He said his resignation is based on periods of long introspection, saying that “ it is no longer news that the PDP has been embroiled in a fratricidal internal crisis brought upon itself”
Okupe said “Its current direction is difficult to discern and I am convinced that even when the much-expected judgment from the Supreme Court is given, the future of the party is not likely to be significantly affected whichever way the judgment goes”
He stated “ There seems to be too much deception, selfishness and gross nepotism in our polity nationally”
The former Presidential aide recalled that “during the NRC and SDP era, there existed true nationalism and brotherhood.
“Northern NRC politicians will under no circumstance undermine their party for any parochial reason. Also, neither will a Southern NRC politician, under any circumstance betray their party.
“Abiola was a Yoruba man, yet those of us who were Yorubas in the NRC never once thought of voting for him”
“The commitment in the North was even more profound. Even the Northern SDP rejected a distinguished successful Kano-born Presidential Candidate, Alhaji Bashir Tofa, and voted for a Southern Yoruba Muslim candidate. Worse than that, both Abiola and his running mate, Amb. Baba Gana Kingibe were Muslims. Yet, it did not matter” he recalled.
He expressed regret that political parties have lost importance and identities saying “ Once the candidate is Northern, his party is immaterial, all northerners irrespective of their professed party affiliations will vote for him”
Part of the statement reads “ This is the major reason why there has been a total absence of opposition in the country in the last two years, and may probably be responsible for the polarisation and sharp ethnic divisions we are currently witnessing in the country.
“In the east, there is intense anger and loud call for secession, in the south-south, there is absolute indignation and very resolute demand for total control of their resources, while the south-west is bellicose and hell bent on true federalism and restructuring which many prominent Northerners openly oppose for good or for bad.
“Under these circumstances, political parties have lost their flavour and relevance.Certainly, a party like my former party, PDP has no future in the evolving Nigerian Political Circus. This political confusion has percolated to the states, Ogun state being one of the worst hit” he said