OPEN LETTER TO THE PDP STATE CHAIRMAN, AKWA IBOM STATE, RT. HON. (ELDER) ANIEKAN AKPAN
Warm greetings, Mr. Chairman. Pardon the tone—it carries more fire than flowers, because these are not normal times for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Akwa Ibom State. I write from a place of truth, tinged with anger, and burdened by deep concern.
Let’s not pretend we are unaware of the unfolding drama.
The man who rose to power on the wings of the PDP has now quietly defected to the APC. Yes, he has left—and that in itself is not the crime. People have always played musical chairs in Nigerian politics. Defections are not new.
What is new, what is disheartening, and frankly unacceptable, is the thunderous silence from the party leadership. No press statement, no emergency meeting, no engagement with the base. Not even a word from your Publicity Secretary, Edwin Ebiese. Just silence. Deafening silence.
Why has the PDP in Akwa Ibom, once bold and vibrant, suddenly recoiled into timid denial, like a widow in mourning? Is this a new crisis management model—“stay quiet and hope it fades”? Or are we witnessing a silent internal defection of leadership itself?
With due respect, Mr. Chairman, this is not leadership. This is retreat. Abdication masquerading as composure.
We must ask the hard questions now:
Where is the PDP structure in Akwa Ibom?
Who is speaking to the ward chairmen, the youth leaders, the elders, and loyalists still holding the party’s banner despite betrayal from the top?
Why are the organs of the party behaving like tenants afraid to knock?
You may see us as “just members,” but we are more—we are the backbone. Many of us have given sweat, blood, and voice to this party. We will not sit idle while it bleeds out in silence.
To the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) and National Executive Committee (NEC): if your ears are tuned to the South-South at all, hear this. The house in Akwa Ibom is cracking. You cannot mend a broken ceiling by watching from Abuja.
Let me propose immediate action steps if the current leadership is out of ideas:
1. Dispatch a fact-finding delegation to Akwa Ibom. Engage with real grassroots stakeholders and assess the depth of collapse.
2. Reconstitute the state leadership, if it has been compromised, captured, or gone catatonic.
3. Rebuild trust from the bottom up through open dialogue, stakeholder meetings, and strategic messaging to reaffirm that the PDP still stands.
4. Enforce discipline and accountability. The era of loyalty-for-sale must end.
Let us not delude ourselves: if we can’t manage political heartbreak in 2025, we have no business dreaming of electoral triumph in 2027.
Mr. Chairman, this is not a call for perfection. It is a plea for presence.
Show up. Speak. Lead. Or step aside for those who still believe in this party and its promise.
Trust is on life support in Akwa Ibom PDP. Without urgent intervention, the obituary may not be far behind.
With grave concern—but unshaken hope,
Uwem Etukudo Sr.
Loyal but Disappointed PDP Stakeholder, Akwa Ibom State
