In a brief statement posted on his verified X account, Ologbondiyan attached a resignation letter dated December 5, 2025, and addressed to the PDP Chairman of Okekoko Ward 09, Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area, Kogi State. Titled “Notification of Membership Withdrawal,” the letter stated:
“I have reviewed my participation in the PDP and came to the conclusion that, for personal reasons, I need to make my exit. I have therefore come to a decision to formally withdraw my membership of the PDP, henceforth.”
Ologbondiyan, who served as the party’s chief spokesperson between 2018 and 2021 and was a prominent voice during the 2019 and 2023 presidential campaigns, expressed deep appreciation to party leaders at all levels for the opportunities to serve both the PDP and the nation. He wished the party well but gave no indication of his next political destination.
The resignation caps a year of unprecedented bleeding for the PDP. Since January 2025, the party has lost five sitting governors, its 2023 presidential candidate and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, its 2023 vice-presidential candidate and former Delta governor Ifeanyi Okowa, dozens of federal and state lawmakers, and now one of its most recognisable media strategists.
Governors who have defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) include:
- Ademola Adeleke (Osun)
- Douye Diri (Bayelsa)
- Peter Mbah (Enugu)
- Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta)
- Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom)
Most cited the need to align with the federal government for development projects, frustration with the PDP’s internal crises, or the party’s inability to present a united front against the APC ahead of the 2027 elections.
The legislative wing has been equally devastated. On December 5 alone, the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martin Amaewhule, led 16 lawmakers in defecting to the APC, handing the ruling party control of the 32-member House. Similar movements occurred in Kaduna, Niger, and Katsina states. In the Senate, Ned Nwoko (Delta North) switched to the APC early in the year, while several House of Representatives members followed suit.
The most shocking departure came in July when Atiku Abubakar tendered his resignation, accusing the PDP of abandoning its founding principles of social justice and internal democracy. He has since joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition, which has also welcomed former Senate President David Mark (now interim national chairman), Dino Melaye, and other disaffected PDP chieftains.
Former Delta State governor Ifeanyi Okowa’s defection to the APC in April, alongside Governor Oborevwori and the entire state party structure, was described by analysts as the single biggest blow, effectively ending PDP dominance in the oil-rich South-South region.
Political observers say the PDP’s collapse stems from prolonged leadership vacuum, bitter zoning disputes, failure to resolve the fallout from the 2023 presidential primary, and the inability of the National Working Committee to assert authority over warring factions. The party now controls only five states, down from 13 in 2023, and its representation in the National Assembly has shrunk dramatically.
Reacting to the latest wave of exits, some remaining PDP leaders have attempted to put up a brave face. Board of Trustees Chairman Senator Adolphus Wabara described the defections as “a painful but necessary cleansing,” insisting the party would emerge stronger. Others, speaking anonymously, admitted the PDP risks total irrelevance if it fails to reconcile its factions and present a credible alternative platform before 2027.
For Kola Ologbondiyan, who spent over two decades defending the PDP in the media and shaping its public narrative, the decision to leave appears to signal that even the party’s most loyal communicators no longer see a viable future within its ranks.
As Nigeria’s political landscape continues to realign, the PDP’s dramatic decline has cleared the path for the APC to consolidate power while the emerging ADC coalition positions itself as the new home for opposition politics. With less than 18 months to the next general elections, the question on many minds is simple: can the PDP survive 2025, or has the party that ruled Nigeria for 16 uninterrupted years finally reached its end?
