Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has expressed concern over the sharp decline in the number of senators elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, revealing that the party has lost 31 lawmakers in the Red Chamber amid ongoing internal crises.
Akpoti-Uduaghan spoke on Saturday in Abuja during the inauguration of the PDP Convention Committee, which party leaders view as a key step toward restoring unity and repositioning the opposition for future elections.
In a statement issued on Sunday by her media aide, Mike Idoko, the senator highlighted that defections have significantly weakened the PDP’s presence in the Senate. She, however, expressed optimism that the committee’s inauguration marks a turning point for the party.
“Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I would say I’m extremely elated tonight simply because we have a political party,” she said. “Congratulations to everyone here today. I know it’s not been easy. We’ve been on the news back and forth, and that has kept a lot of people wondering what befalls the PDP.”
Recalling the party’s decline in Senate representation, she noted that when she joined in late November 2023, there were 37 PDP senators, but now only six remain. She attributed the defections to internal party disputes.
“When I asked a few of them why they were leaving the party, they mentioned the leadership crisis. So I’m saying this to my colleagues who have decamped — trust me, it’s not greener on the other side. You are all welcome back to the PDP,” she added.
In his inaugural speech as Chairman of the PDP 2026 National Convention Committee, former Okezie Ikpeazu described the event as a critical moment in the party’s history, acknowledging internal challenges and legal battles that had threatened its unity.
“It is not merely a legal victory, it is a moral and political reset. It offers us a rare opportunity to rebuild, restore confidence, and reaffirm due process within our party,” Ikpeazu stated, urging reconciliation and collaboration among party members.
He emphasised that the mission of the convention committee is to deliver a transparent, widely accepted convention capable of producing a credible National Working Committee to reposition the PDP for victory in the 2027 general elections.
The inauguration is widely regarded as an important step toward stabilising the PDP, rebuilding trust among members, and strengthening its position as a leading opposition party, particularly in the Senate, where its numbers have sharply declined in recent months.