As Nigerians continue to contend with economic hardship, insecurity, and growing discontent over the performance of federal leadership, the founding Director-General of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum, Earl Osaro Onaiwu, says governors under the opposition party are quietly setting new standards in state governance.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, Onaiwu said PDP governors are filling the leadership gap with policies that are directly improving lives across their states, even as national anxieties mount.
“They’re not just delivering projects, they’re restoring dignity,” he said. “While some leaders are playing politics, these governors are solving problems.”
Highlighting interventions in infrastructure, health, education, and economic empowerment, Onaiwu pointed to reconstructed roads in Enugu, revitalised healthcare in Zamfara, enhanced school systems in Taraba, and youth innovation initiatives in Osun as evidence of responsive leadership.
He said the contrast between federal inertia and sub-national action was becoming increasingly apparent, with PDP-led states charting a governance course rooted in impact rather than propaganda.
In Oyo State, he noted that Governor Seyi Makinde’s focus on budget transparency and rural development has earned commendations. In Bauchi, the strengthening of the public healthcare system has improved public trust. In Bayelsa, gains in security and women’s empowerment are shifting perceptions of governance in the state.
“The story of Nigeria doesn’t have to be one of constant despair,” said a policy analyst quoted in the statement. “What we’re seeing in some PDP states suggests that leadership, when grounded in people’s needs, still works.”
Onaiwu urged the Federal Government to support effective governance wherever it is found, regardless of party affiliation, warning that partisan politics should not obstruct visible progress.
“This is not the time to play politics with performance. The real opposition to progress is not another party—it’s bad governance,” he said.
As the country inches toward midterm political recalibrations, Onaiwu argued that the PDP governors’ track records may yet provide a workable template for restoring public confidence in democracy.
“Leadership that listens and delivers is still possible,” he said.
