Former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant and U.S.-based medical doctor, Dr. Nwachukwu Anakwenze, has warned that the PDP may face total collapse if former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is chosen as the party’s flagbearer in the 2027 presidential election.

In a strongly worded interview, Dr. Anakwenze criticized Atiku’s continued influence in the party, claiming it has stifled progress and blocked the emergence of visionary leadership within the PDP.

“I belong to PDP. PDP has problems because people like Atiku do not want it to succeed. He is one of those holding the party down,” Anakwenze said.

He warned that without a radical shift in leadership direction, the PDP risks losing the few states it still controls.

Emphasizing the need for competent, forward-thinking leadership, Anakwenze said Nigeria’s chronic underdevelopment is not due to a lack of natural resources, but rather “the lack of the right kind of leadership.”

“The smartest people in Nigeria have not ruled the country, and that is why we are losing on all fronts,” he lamented.

The former presidential aspirant also took aim at Nigeria’s broader political culture, condemning the role of ethnic and religious divisions, and questioning the moral integrity of many in leadership.

“In Nigeria, only people who are supposed to be in prison are the ones calling the shots,” he stated.

Anakwenze’s remarks come as internal tensions mount within the PDP over zoning arrangements, party reform, and the strategic direction leading into the 2027 general elections.