The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the wave of defections by some of its governors and senior members to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as acts of greed, selfishness, and political betrayal — insisting that Nigerians, not political defectors, will decide the outcome of the 2027 general elections.
Since the 2023 polls, four governors — Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), Peter Mbah (Enugu), and Douye Diri (Bayelsa) — have dumped the opposition party.
They joined the exodus that earlier included the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and his running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa, who recently withdrew their membership.
PDP Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Ibrahim Abdullahi, said on Friday that the governors had no justifiable reason for abandoning the party that made them.
Speaking on Arise Television, Abdullahi said, “You cannot find a compelling reason for a sitting governor, particularly one in his second term like in Bayelsa, to dump the PDP other than greed and avarice. What we are witnessing is sheer political covetousness.”
He said the party remains strong and focused despite internal challenges. “Our party has addressed major internal issues and is better positioned as a credible opposition ahead of 2027. The defections are mere distractions by selfish individuals,” he said.
When contacted, Enugu Governor Peter Mbah’s media aide, Dan Nwomeh, defended his principal’s decision to leave the PDP, saying the move was inevitable.
“The governor has made his reasons clear. You can’t remain in a party where your voice doesn’t count,” Nwomeh said. “We know the PDP won’t be happy, but politics is about conviction.”
Abdullahi insisted that the PDP was unbothered by the departures, describing them as “good riddance to bad rubbish.”
“These are people driven by greed and the coercion of the ruling party,” he said. “Their exit gives us an opportunity to clean house and rebuild a stronger, more principled PDP.”
He argued that the defection of a few governors cannot define the party’s fate. “It’s not about PDP or APC anymore; it’s about Nigerians versus a ruling elite determined to suffocate democracy,” he stated.
Abdullahi dismissed Enugu Governor Peter Mbah’s claim that the South East had been marginalised in the PDP.
“This is the same party that produced five Senate Presidents from the region, several ministers, and prominent technocrats like Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. So, what exactly is he talking about?” he queried.
He accused some governors of non-participation in party activities, adding: “If you say the PDP lacks leadership in your state, that’s a confession of failure because you are the leader of the party there.”
Abdullahi also criticised former Enugu governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, saying: “It’s disappointing that a man who once governed a state now behaves like a personal assistant to a minister. That’s political self-degradation.”
In a similar vein, PDP South-South Zonal Caretaker Chairman, Elder Emmanuel Ogidi, accused the APC of coercing opposition governors to defect.
“Even second-term governors are leaving under pressure. The ruling party is bent on turning Nigeria into a one-party state,” Ogidi said. “But Nigerians can see through their desperation.”
He stressed that the PDP would proceed with its forthcoming national convention in Ibadan, despite court challenges. “Some of those now defecting once worked hard for the success of this convention. Ironically, they are now trying to stop it,” he added.
Political analyst and founding national secretary of the defunct Alliance for Democracy (AD), Prof. Udenta O. Udenta, lambasted the defecting governors, calling them “cowardly and gutless.”
“Real politicians don’t flee from crises; they stay to fix their parties. These ones are political nomads who have lost their ideological compass,” Udenta said.
He accused President Bola Tinubu of exploiting the defections to weaken opposition structures. “Tinubu, who once fought PDP dominance in the South West, now toys with these same politicians who bow to him in sycophancy,” he said.
Udenta warned that Nigeria’s democracy was at risk of sliding into “a competitive authoritarian state,” urging patriots to defend multi-party democracy.
“The PDP and other opposition parties must shed political baggage and rebuild themselves as true voices of the people,” he declared. No I’m jjjj
Meanwhile, a Federal High Court in Abuja has reaffirmed its order directing parties to maintain the status quo in the suit seeking to stop the PDP’s national convention slated for November 15–16 in Ibadan.
Justice James Omotosho, during Thursday’s hearing, warned that he would nullify any act done in defiance of the court’s order. He assured that judgment would be delivered before the end of October.
The suit, filed by three aggrieved PDP members — Austin Nwachukwu (Imo), Amah Abraham Nnanna (Abia), and Turnah George (South South) — seeks to stop the planned convention.
Tensions rose during proceedings as two senior lawyers, Chris Uche (SAN) and Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN), clashed over who is authorised to represent the PDP in the case — a development described by observers as “embarrassing” for the party.
The court has fixed October 20 for a definite hearing on the matter.
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