Leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State have insisted that the party remains formidable in the state despite recent defections, declaring that its structure and support base are still intact.
The leaders spoke on Friday during an enlarged stakeholders’ meeting in Asaba ahead of the party’s local government congresses scheduled to take place across the state on Saturday, March 7, 2026.
Former Deputy Governor of the state, Kingsley Otuaro, said the ongoing congress process marked the beginning of a deliberate effort to rebuild and strengthen the party from the grassroots.
According to him, the stakeholders’ meeting followed the successful conduct of ward congresses and was aimed at preparing party members for the next phase of the exercise.
Otuaro urged members to remain steadfast despite the challenges confronting the party, including internal disputes and ongoing court cases.
“We are on the path of legality, operating strictly within the rules and regulations guiding our party. The law is the law and it will always stand against impunity,” he said.
He maintained that the party leadership and stakeholders had remained committed to the rule of law throughout the process and expressed confidence that the PDP would emerge stronger.
Otuaro also reiterated that Delta State remained a stronghold of the PDP, stressing that the ongoing congress process was aimed at reasserting the party’s dominance in the state.
“Delta State is a PDP state. Despite everything that has happened, we are here to reassert the strength, dominance and leadership of the PDP in the state,” he said.
Also speaking, former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, Peter Mrakpor, said members who had chosen to remain in the party did so out of conviction and belief in the PDP.
He dismissed fears that the party would collapse, insisting that the PDP remained alive and strong.
“This party is not dead. As you can see, it will never die. If some of us have decided to remain here, it is because we believe it is the proper thing to do,” Mrakpor said.
He likened political party membership to religious affiliation, noting that just as individuals freely choose the church they attend, party members also have the constitutional right to belong to any political party of their choice.
“As a lawyer, I ask this question: can anyone go to court and obtain an injunction to stop me from being a member of the PDP? The answer is no,” he said.
Mrakpor emphasized that democracy thrives on freedom of association and peaceful political engagement, adding that PDP members were committed to nurturing and growing the party.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the PDP Congress Panel for Delta State, Austin Nwachukwu, said the congresses were being conducted in line with directives from the party’s national leadership and would be carried out through the consensus method.
Nwachukwu dismissed claims that the PDP had been completely depleted in Delta following recent defections to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“Some people say everybody in Delta State has moved to the APC. But looking at the large number of party faithful gathered here, can anyone honestly say that the PDP has disappeared? The answer is clearly no,” he said.
He explained that the panel, constituted by the National Working Committee of the party, had put in place mechanisms to ensure the smooth and transparent conduct of the congresses across the state’s local government areas.
According to him, a Local Organising Committee had also been established to coordinate activities in the various local government areas while members of the panel would monitor the process to ensure compliance with the party’s constitution and guidelines.
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Nwachukwu further disclosed that the congress process had received a boost following a ruling by the Court of Appeal sitting in Ibadan which affirmed the legitimacy of the PDP national leadership led by Umar Damagum as Acting National Chairman and Samuel Anyanwu as National Secretary.
He said the judgment had strengthened the legality of the ongoing congresses in Delta State.
The panel chairman also expressed optimism that some members who recently left the PDP would eventually return.
“Even those who are being celebrated as having defected today came from the PDP. When they get there and discover the environment is not as comfortable as they imagined, many of them will return, and we will receive them,” he said.
Party leaders at the meeting urged members to remain loyal to the PDP and protect the integrity of the congress process as the party moves to rebuild its structures across the state ahead of future political contests.
