Dino Melaye Alleges PDP Has Been Bought Over by APC, Labels Party a “Parastatal”

Senator Dino Melaye has launched a scathing attack on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), claiming that Nigeria’s main opposition party has been effectively bought by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The former Kogi West lawmaker made the accusation during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, August 1, 2025.

Melaye, who recently resigned from the PDP and joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC), alleged that the PDP had lost its independence and was now acting as an extension of the APC. “PDP has been purchased by APC. PDP is a parastatal of the APC. PDP is a department of the APC,” he said on the program.

He went further to assert that the PDP no longer makes autonomous decisions, claiming that the party now schedules its key meetings—such as the National Executive Committee (NEC) and National Working Committee (NWC) gatherings—based on instructions from the Presidential Villa. “They take dates for NEC meetings from the villa,” Melaye alleged, suggesting a direct influence from the APC-led federal government.

Melaye’s comments come just weeks after he tendered his resignation from the PDP, citing the party’s inability to present a credible alternative to the APC. In his resignation letter dated July 4, 2025, he expressed disappointment in the PDP’s direction, accusing it of lacking both the will and the structure to serve as a meaningful opposition party. “The party lacks the potency and capacity to serve as a viable opposition and has failed to meet the expectations of Nigerians,” he wrote, as reported by Daily Trust and The Guardian Nigeria.

The former senator also criticized the behavior of PDP governors, accusing many of them of working in the interest of the APC rather than serving as oppositional leaders. According to Melaye, these governors are “holding fort for the APC,” further reinforcing his belief that the PDP has lost its ideological independence.

Melaye’s defection to the ADC is seen as part of a broader political realignment ahead of the 2027 general elections. His departure from the PDP follows months of internal party tensions and public dissatisfaction with the opposition’s response to national issues under the current administration.

During his interview on Channels Television, Melaye did not disclose whether he would be contesting for any political office in 2027 but maintained that his decision to join the ADC was driven by a commitment to “progressive ideals” and a need to work with “credible alternatives.”

Melaye, known for his outspoken style and history of political realignments, has served as a member of both chambers of the National Assembly and was the PDP’s candidate in the 2023 Kogi State gubernatorial election.