Former Bayelsa State governor and senator representing Bayelsa West, Seriake Dickson, has delivered one of his most scathing assessments yet of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), accusing its leaders—particularly governors—of arrogance, entitlement and serial leadership failures that have pushed the once-dominant party to the brink ahead of the 2027 general election.

Speaking against the backdrop of Nigeria’s deepening political and economic crisis, Dickson said anxiety over the country’s direction has been worsened by the unresolved internal implosion within the PDP, which he described as avoidable and self-inflicted.

According to him, the party’s prolonged crisis reflects “a lack of leadership and failure of leadership” by successive national working committees and PDP governors who, he said, routinely take unilateral strategic decisions without consultation, only to later scramble for bailouts when those decisions backfire.

“The PDP is not in a good position right now,” Dickson said bluntly. “Quite frankly, the leaders of PDP have messed up completely.

The governors have missed every opportunity to pursue and achieve a reasonable solution to save a historic brand like PDP that they are toying with.”

Dickson said he has remained in the PDP out of loyalty to a platform that empowered his people in the Niger Delta and shaped Nigeria’s democratic journey, but warned that sentiment alone cannot rescue a party being treated as personal property by a shrinking circle of power brokers.

“Maybe they think it’s their personal property,” he said of PDP governors. “But the PDP is a national brand. It is an integral part of the political history of this nation. And that’s the kind of platform they are playing with.”

Tracing the roots of the crisis, the former governor said the party squandered multiple opportunities to resolve its internal disputes amicably, blaming what he called the “inept leadership” of the previous national working committee and the complicity of governors who took sides instead of enforcing discipline.

“The governors contributed to dividing the party into camps,” he said. “They allowed little ambitions to go into their heads and failed to understand that an opposition party requires the input and involvement of every stakeholder.”

Dickson was particularly critical of what he described as a dangerous entitlement mindset among PDP governors, arguing that electoral losses should have forced introspection rather than arrogance.

“If PDP had 28 or 30 governors before and has now been reduced to less than 10, shouldn’t it occur to you that you are not the only stakeholders?” he asked. “But every one of them feels they own the party just because they are governors. Even the people who brought them to office mean nothing.”

He said the party’s steady slide from one crisis to another was entirely avoidable, warning that the damage inflicted on the PDP is so severe “you can’t even wish it on an enemy.”

Reflecting on the party’s origins, Dickson recalled the ideals that inspired its founding by some of Nigeria’s most prominent democrats, who envisioned the PDP as a broad national umbrella capable of sheltering diverse interests across the country.

“Under that umbrella, my Niger Delta people got the vice presidency and the presidency of Nigeria,” he said. “That’s why we remain sentimental to the PDP.”

Despite his frustration, Dickson said he has not abandoned hope entirely, describing himself as a captain who refuses to jump ship prematurely, even as prospects for internal redemption dim.

“A true captain stays until all efforts to salvage have failed,” he said. “We are still praying. Even at the last minute, something good can happen. But the way things are going, PDP’s case is not giving one much hope.”

Turning to Bayelsa politics, Dickson distanced himself from ongoing speculation surrounding the choice of a deputy governor, insisting that such decisions rest solely with the sitting governor.

“It is the prerogative of the governor to select his deputy,” he said. “I brought the two of them together, and they worked well. But I cannot give the governor a name. He has been governor for six years; he knows people.”

He said his deliberate non-interference since leaving office has contributed to peace and stability in Bayelsa, contrasting it with the turmoil witnessed in other states.

“When I was leaving, I left without strings. I didn’t give conditions,” he said. “That attitude has brought peace. Those who expected Bayelsa to boil have failed.”

Dickson also offered advice to former governors struggling to remain relevant after leaving office, urging them to embrace humility, distance and faith.

“Most of these ambitions were not even theirs. We brought them and supported them,” he said. “We should pray for them. Time runs very fast. One day, they too will be former governors.”

As the 2027 election cycle approaches, Dickson’s intervention adds to growing internal warnings that unless the PDP confronts its leadership failures and reclaims its founding values, it risks political irrelevance at a moment Nigeria desperately needs a credible opposition.