The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ordeal as continued to worsen. The party is facing its worst time as a political party in Nigeria.
Apart from the 2015 general elections, when then Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State led four of colleagues out of the party, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the PDP has never had it so bad.
The recent wave of defections from the party to the All Progressives Congress (APC), has put the once viable party in a state of turmoil.
While defectors blame happenings in the party for their decision, others see them as selfish politicians.
Four governors already dumped PDP for APC in 2025.
In April, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State, his immediate predecessor, Ifeanyi Okowa, and all members of the PDP in the state defected to the APC and opening the wsve of defections.
In June, Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State followed suit and officially defected from the PDP to APC, ending months of speculation over his possible move to the ruling party.
On Tuesday, Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, announced his defection from the PDP to the APC, saying he joined the ruling party because the voice of his people was not recognised.
He said, “This is not a betrayal; it is also not abandonment.
“It is more about understanding that I was entrusted with the people’s mandate by the people, and it is also a responsibility on me to carry that same mandate on a platform that will best serve the people.”
24hours later, on Wednesday, the news of Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State’s defection from the PDP to the APC was announced by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah.
Alabrah announced Diri’s resignation from the PDP alongside the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Abraham Ingobere and all the party members in the state legislature.
With the defections, some stakeholders within the political circle have expressed their views over the development and its implication on the PDP ahead of 2027 elections.
Former Special Adviser on Public Affairs to ex-Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, Katchy Ononuju, said the PDP is paying the price for ex-Vice President, Atiku Abubakar’s refusal to obey zoning during the build-up of the 2023 presidential election.
He said, “What it tells you is PDP is paying the price for not respecting zoning in the last election. You know, politically, when a party does something very bad, the payment will come later on.
“If Atiku had respected zoning, PDP wouldn’t be where it is now, because he refused that’s why we are where we are. That being where we are is the PDP. If Atiku hadn’t run today the PDP would have been president because the combined votes of the party have been so much that we would not be where we are.
“So, what I tell everybody, since this has been opening up, is that the party will bring a strong lesson for people next time to respect zoning.
“When you refused to zone in 2023, the Southerners did exactly the same thing the Northerners did in 2015, and this led the party to go and vote for the Buhari coalition, and that was then also formed by members of the nPDP, because it is their joining of the APC coalition that brought this.
“So, the party should have learnt and not allowed Atiku Abubakar’s insistence to make it refuse to zone. It has finally found its mistake and that’s why it has now zoned to the South. But as we’re seeing, it seems so late. But then it’s also a good thing it has set the tone.
“I tell everybody who’s listening, now you can see that Atiku Abubakar’s inordinate ambition has finally killed the PDP.”
Meanwhile Atiku’s media aide, Paul Ibe, has defended his boss. He said the defections had shown that the former Vice president was never PDP’s problem.
He said the PDP was the one giving Atiku problems and not the other way around.
“In line with the constitutional provision of freedom of association, everybody determines who they associate with, so nobody should abridge that right.
‘Those who are defecting are in the best position to know why they are choosing or electing to choose a different party people to associate with, it’s up to them.
“Ultimately, it is voters who will have the final say as to their decision. They thought Atiku was the problem, now he has left the PDP and this has shown clearly that he wasn’t the problem. The insect that destroys vegetables is inside the vegetables, it’s what the Yorubas say.
“People have been playing the ostrich, nobody wants to tell themselves the truth. And the truth is dawning on everybody and Atiku Abubakar was never, he wasn’t, and will never be the problem of the PDP. He has left them to the problem. They were the ones giving him wahala, not the other way around,” he said.
