We are in the season of decampings and defections. Unfortunately, it seems to go in one direction. The PDP, the party that described itself at the height of its fame as the biggest political party in the whole of Africa is at the receiving end. It said it was bigger than Nelson Mandela’s ANC of South Africa. It even boasted it was going to rule for 60 uninterrupted years. After 16 years it collapsed. At the height of its reign, it had 28 Governors and controlled more than two thirds of the National Assembly.
In 2003, the PDP under President Obasanjo nearly exterminated and wiped out the dominant Alliance for Democracy (AD) from the South West (SW). Winning 5 out of 6 States. It took the political sagacity, stubbornness and pure ingenuity for Tinubu to withstand the electoral blitz and tsunami that swept through the Zone. He became the last man standing and initiated the process of rebuilding the party through name changes from AD to AC, to consolidating on ACN.
It was ACN that merged with Buhari’s CPC, Onu’s ANPP, nPDP led by Atiku ,Amaechi and Saraki, and Okorocha’s UPGA to form the now rampaging APC in 2014.
On the 23th of April 2025, the entire structure of Delta State PDP led by the Governor ,Sheriff Oborevwor and the Vice Presidential candidate who happened to be the immediate past Governor ,Dr Ifeanyi Okowa in the 2023 elections, in a feat of political survival fused into the APC.
It was surprising and a huge political shake up as Delta State has known no other political party apart from the PDP since 1999. Shocking is that of Dr Okowa, Atiku’s running mate in 2023. I suppose spending a few days with the EFCC must have reset his political brain. His defection is not new in Nigeria’s political history. In the 3rd republic, the running mate to Chief MKO Abiola, Babagana Kingibe abandoned him to join the military junta of General Abacha. The fear of EFCC is the beginning of political wisdom. As a former National Chairman of APC and now Senator, Adams Oshiomole said, once you join the APC, your sins will be forgiven.
Defection of Governors to the ruling party at Federal level is nothing new, especially in the 4th republic. Abdulfatah Ahmed in 2014 defected from PDP to APC. He is now back in PDP. Aminu Tambuwal as Governor of Sokoto State in 2015 decamped from PDP to APC. He has now gone back to his vomit in PDP. Aliyu Wamako as Sokoto State Governor also in 2014 moved from PDP to APC. The current Minister of State for Defense as Governor of Zamfara State in June 2021 jumped from PDP to APC. David Umahi, current minister of Works, as Governor of Ebonyi crossed over to APC from PDP once he secured his 2nd term. Prof Ben Ayade of Cross Rivers State also did likewise in 2019.
Are things going to continue this way? Do our votes really matter any more?Who holds the mandate, the political party or the candidate? On the ballot paper the candidate’s photograph is absent. Only the party’s name and logo are printed. Why is it so easy for elected people to hop from one party to another like a change of trousers? They should vacate their seats. The electorate voted for the party and not the candidate. In the UK, you cannot leave the Conservative party for the Labour Party and retain your seat in parliament.
At the moment PDP is on ground Zero. The only way is up. As the major opposition party, it has failed the Nigerian people. Let those who want to port to APC do so now. There is still enough time to rebuild ,reorganize and reform the party before the next general elections in 2027. They urgently need to take some far reaching,hard and tough decisions. Unfortunately, l do not see the current leadership doing so. They are too weak and compromised. What happened to the recommendations of the disciplinary and reconciliation committees reports? I bet they are gathering dust at a back room in Wadata Plaza.
What do you expect from a political party that has no substantive National Chairman and National Secretary? A party full of moles sent in to destroy it. Seems they are doing a good job.
The APC might not have recorded noticeable success in revamping the economy, but they have definitely succeeded in destabilizing the opposition parties. The parties are confused and in disarray. Groping in darkness.
