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  • 300 PDP, NNPP members decamp to APC in Kaduna

    300 PDP, NNPP members decamp to APC in Kaduna

    No fewer than 300 opposition leaders and members from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), in Kawo Ward, Kaduna North LGA, have decamped to the ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The defection of hundreds of opposition members was coming when former Governor Nasir El-Rufai who is also from Kaduna North LGA, is working with other opposition figures like former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to form a Coalition against the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.

    Speaking at the grand reception of the defectors, Permanent Member, Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr Jamilu Haruna said the mass defection into the APC, is a clear indication that, Governor Uba Sani has performed credibly well.

    Haruna, who facilitated the reception ceremony, said Governor Uba Sani has within two years in office delivered good governance to the people of Kaduna state, from infrastructure development to agricultural revolution and rural transformation programmes.

    According to him: “This defection is not a surprise to us because all the genuine members of the opposition have seen the giant strides of Governor Uba Sani in security improvements, educational development, food security and overall wellbeing of the citizens.

    “These achievements have stood our Governor our even among his colleagues and endeared him to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which is a clear indication that, Kaduna stands to benefit more from the Federal Government for the overall benefit of the citizens.

    “So, we welcome the decampees to our great party and we are assuring them that they will be respected, valued and they would be given opportunities to contribute their quota to the development of APC and the state at large,” Dr Jamilu Haruna said.

    He also expressed appreciation to the Chief of Staff to Governor, Alhaji Sani Liman Kila towards the success of the programme.

    Receiving the defectors on behalf of Governor Uba Sani, Kaduna North Local Government Chairman of the APC, Alhaji Suleiman Wada Usman expressed appreciation to them for embracing the truth and joining the party that truly cares for the progress and development of the Kaduna State.

    He however assured them of fair and equal treatment in the ruling party, saying that, they would not be treated second class citizens in the Party.

    Read Also: Fresh trouble for PDP as defection fever hits BoT

    Leader of the defectors and for Kaduna Central Senatorial Aspirant of the PDP, Prof. Usman Muhammad, said he led 225 from the PDP in Kawo because they are convinced that Governor Uba Sani who also from their constituency, has so far provided all inclusive governance. 

     He also said that, the PDP had made him and other chieftains redundant despite their level of education and experiences, just as the party had also deeply into crisis before expectation.  

    Muhammad, a professor of Political Science and expert in International Relations however expressed hope that, APC would not make them regret their decision to decamp into the party, just as he called on Governor Uba Sani bring more developmental projects to Kawo.

    Notable among the defectors are; former Aspirant PDP State Legal Advisor, Barr. Aliyu Suleiman, Chairman PDP Kawo Ward, Alhaji Hamza Mati Salihu, former PDP state Assembly Aspirant, Hon. Idris Badamasi Shuaibu, PDP Youth Leader, Kawo Ward, Tasiu Aliyu and Chairman NNPP, Kawo Ward, Comrade Aminu Tanko Musa. 

  • Fresh trouble for PDP as defection fever hits BoT

    Fresh trouble for PDP as defection fever hits BoT

    • Senator Effiong Bob, others conclude plans to join APC

    • Akwa-Ibom governor, predecessor may follow suit

    • ‘Leaders who want to go should do so immediately and allow us rebuild’

    The gale of defections sweeping through the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is about to hit its Board of Trustees as Senator Effiong Bob finalises plans for his own switch to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    More members of the PDP BoT are said to be preparing to jump ship in the coming weeks and months, some with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar who has given indication of achieving his presidential ambition on a platform other than PDP’s if the need arises.

    Bob, a grassroots politician and ally of Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno, represented Akwa Ibom North Central in the Red Chamber between 2007 and 2011.

    Sources close to Bob told The Nation that he was fed up with the uncertainties over the fate of PDP and the risky implications of its unresolved tussle over the position of National Secretary.

    “Senator Bob, a two-term senator from Akwa Ibom State, who was among those who spearheaded our governor’s 2023 election campaign, has concluded plans to defect to the APC.

    “An outstanding political leader, he is set to join the ruling APC with his supporters and associates, and he is leaving after 28 years of fidelity to the party,” the source said.

    Bob, who chaired the Senate Committee on Finance, will be the first high-profile member of the PDP BoT to leave the party.

    Read Also; Needless alarm on one party state

    Associates of Senator Bob, who confirmed his defection moves, said members of the party in the state had decided to take their political destiny in their hands given the current state of the PDP at the national level and in view of huge, self-inflicted threats that may destroy PDP’s chances in the 2027 general elections and likelihood that a wrong signatory other than the one recognised by INEC may lead to wholesale cancellation of PDP nominations.

    One of them told our correspondent that they do not want to risk the Zamfara State experience of the APC in 2023 where the entire party candidates were disqualified after the elections because of an irregular endorsement that resulted from the tussle within the political party structure.

    He explained that given the tussle at the PDP national secretariat it is difficult to know who is the chairman and secretary of the party with several ongoing court cases and conflicting court decisions.

    “So who will conduct the primaries and who will sign INEC endorsement forms for candidates? It is risky because you’ll end up in court and get disqualified not because you are not qualified but because the person who signed the form is not the one to do so.

    “There are more fundamental issues out there and we cannot pretend as if nothing is happening but that will be at our own risk.

    “We are not abandoning the party, we are leaving because the leadership is showing no sign that the current challenges are going to be resolved any time soon,” he stated.

    Sources said Bob’s impeding defection would likely set the tone for more in the state and a possible replica of last week’s mass defection in Delta State.

    Governor Eno recently said he might find another plane to fly him to his destination in 2027 if he finds that the one he planned to fly is not ready for take-off.

    A source said: “The Governor himself is close to joining the APC; he’s only awaiting the final decision of his predecessor who has been foot dragging.

    “From his public utterances in the last three months, it should be obvious to any discerning mind where he stands.

    “It’s just a matter of days, and that is why his foot soldiers and battalion commanders have started moving.”

    Governor Eno has been having series of meetings on the subject recently with the party’s stakeholders and his advisers.

    He has been advised to take his political future in his own hands as the PDP does not offer any future for any serious politician.

     “He would have left since, but he wants to carry his predecessor along. But the man has been foot dragging.

    “It is because of him that Governor Eno is still holding on; but it is becoming obvious that he cannot continue to hold on for too long,” one of our sources said.

    The Governor has also expressed support for President Bola Tinubu’s leadership and his reelection in 2027.

    Besides, he has thrown his weight behind Senate President Godswill Akpabio ahead of 2027.

    In a reaction, PDP’s Deputy National Youth Leader Comrade Timothy Osadolor, who is also a member of PDP’s National Working Committee, said the party is aware of some highly-placed party leaders who have benefitted tremendously over the years but still get involved in ongoing defection plots.

    Osadolor said the PDP would eagerly rebuild itself and its fortunes if such people can show their faces and leave in good time.

     “Any other BoT member, governor, senator or others in national or state leadership positions who want to defect should please do it immediately so that we can know those who remain loyal and work out how to rebuild the party,” he said.

    “They should do it timeously so that we can know the true members of the PDP fold. As sad and as unfortunate as it may be, it is better that they take their exit instead of remaining as the worms working inside the tree to kill it.

    “So let them come out and go. But if it is transport fare that they don’t have, let them come to Wadata Plaza so that we can assist them.

    “Once they go, we can know the committed people that we have left and properly plan how to rebuild the party.

    “Let us not forget that political mobilization or representation is not all about BoT members or governors, it is about the people and in the last general election, APC had 20 states under Buhari, along with the G-5 governors, totaling 25 states. They won only in twelve states!

    “Some incumbent governors lost the elections woefully and the elections show us all that what is more important to the Nigerian people are the candidates and not governors, BoT members or any rich man.

    “Therefore, those defecting are welcome to do so, but they should remember that the people will comment on their actions and history will judge whether their actions today are credible or showing integrity.”

  • PDP: Eclipse of Africa’s largest party

    PDP: Eclipse of Africa’s largest party

    The raging imbroglio within the erstwhile flamboyant ruling party boils down to the absence of formidable, acceptable and unifying leadership that is capable of averting disintegration, fostering cohesion and restoring order. The current in-house pandemonium was avoidable.

    These ailments assailed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), once prided as the largest party in Africa, as soon as it lost power at the centre. Until 12 years ago, it was the ruling party that loomed large over Nigeria for 16 years. The party that dreamt of ruling Africa’s most populous country for uninterrupted 60 years has run into turbulence. Its umbrella has been shredded. Its house is in commotion and on the verge of collapse.

    In droves, PDP’s leading lights now sleep at night as loyal party members and wake up in the All Progressives Congress (APC). The latest was the entire Delta PDP structure, led by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, which was offloaded into the APC. The state’s former governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, also called it quits with the umbrella and embraced the broom, which has continued to sweep away opposition across the land. In fact, the former running mate to ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar hinted that the Wazirin Adamawa may also leave the PDP.

    Atiku, who is coordinating some vague coalition talks, said the alliance train has left the station. But PDP governors said they were not aware and, therefore, not bothered by their 2023 presidential candidate’s solo journey. The implication is that the train left without many party faithful on board. And its destination remains unknown. Yet, it is engaging in what appears like multiple stops to look for vulnerable passengers. As the wary can perceive, the time of passengers in any train is temporary.

    In the National Assembly, some PDP lawmakers have defected, premising their decisions on the protracted leadership crisis at the party’s national level. Their grievances were not ventilated. The party leadership that should broker peace is battling with conflicts. The key organs – the National Working Committee (NWC), the National Executive Committee (NEC), and the Board of Trustees (BoT) – are divided.

    Read Also; Needless alarm on one party state

    Also, some PDP governors are speaking in parables. They are bidding for time. Their commitment to the party is waning. They cannot see a rallying point.

    The decimation is worrisome to the few surviving founding fathers who at the twilight of their lives are witnessing a diminishing return in the life of the party. Deserted by the energy, vibrancy and agility of the early era, the influence of these pathfinders are waning. Unfortunately, latter-day inheritors of their legacies are mismanaging their achievements. These handlers are now the undertakers dispatching the party to its doom. They are not in one accord. So, they cannot put their house in order.

    The journey to the future has been problematic. PDP was the party of democrats – esteemed elder statesmen; a mixture of progressive, liberal, conservative and reactionary players who realigned in 1998b but later succumbed to the influence of a tiny club of retired soldiers who drafted their past leader from retirement and set him over the bewildered country in a post-military era.

    The old soldier could not adjust easily to civilian life as he continued to dictate, impose and coerce other chieftains to submission without going through the channels of consultations, debate and consensus building. Experienced politicians at the helm of party affairs were shoved aside, leading to leadership instability. In the last 26 years, PDP has produced 16 national chairmen – Alex Ekwueme, Solomon Lar, Barnabas Gemade, Audu Ogbeh, Ahmadu Ali, Vincent Ogbulafor, Ezekwesilieze Nwodo, Haliru Mohammed Bello (acting), Kawu Baraje (acting), Bamanga Tukur, Adamu Muazu, Ali Modu Sheriff, Ahmed Makarfi, Uche Secondus, Iyorchia Ayu and Umar Damagun (acting).

    Five of them, at one time or the other – Gemade, Ogeh, Baraje, Muazu and Modu Sheriff – defected from the party.

    After imposing the 2007 presidential candidate who rode to power on the back of a severely flawed election, the General stayed on for a while before tearing his party’s membership card. But his legacy of dictatorship, poor coordination and ‘do-or-die’ leadership style has endured.

    In 1999, PDP was a national party sustained by some beliefs, vision and principles. Although it has never been an ideological party, it retained a fair idea of organisation and its founding fathers adopted zoning, rotation and power shift as convention, to foster equity, fairness, justice and a sense of belonging. The violation of the principle in 2015 contributed to its defeat at the presidential election.

    Zoning is beyond the party. It is a national issue. The major parties are expected to adopt it in the selection of party officers and choice of presidential candidates. When it was ignored in 2015, the party paid dearly for it.

    The death of President Umaru Yar’Adua was very painful. Despite the fact that he was imposed on the party by his predecessor, the belief was that zoning to the North favoured his candidature. Southern politicians often respect rotation, and they waited for their turn. It came before the expected time, barely after two years into the administration.

    But his successor, having spent the remaining two years, and was also elected in 2011, subsequently violated zoning by re-contesting in 2015, when power was expected to rotate to the North.

    Southern politicians in APC discovered an opportunity to team up with their northern counterparts to install Gen. Muhammadu Buhari as president. The import of that zoning is still lost on some northern presidential contenders in PDP as the country gazes at 2027. The South has a legitimate claim to four more years.

    Inconsistency, lack of commitment and sacrifice, and the pursuit of selfish interests by some PDP leaders made many members to jump ship. An example was Atiku Abubakar, who left the party for the Action Congress (AC) in 2006/2007, only to return after the poll. Much later, he also abandoned the platform in 2014, only to retrace his steps in 2018. In those times when he defected from the PDP, his preoccupation was pulling down the platform. It is ironic that he returned to the fold to fly its flag at the presidential polls in 2019 and 2023.

    PDP has also succumbed to regional pressures, making it to become a bully and threat to the interest of its southern members. The ethnic gang-up that produced Atiku as 2023 candidate and which made Aminu Tambuwal the ‘hero of the convention,’ created an impression of domination, exclusion, alienation and destruction of zoning, which was a strong factor in party unity and cohesion.

    The feeling that a presidential candidate from the North can lean on the numerical strength of the region to intimidate the South has produced fatal results, which should make the manipulators to realise that ethnic superiority is a figment of hyperactive imagination. There is no zone that can solely install a president. That is why a wiser presidential candidate would construct a bridge of understanding between the North and the South, instead of over-reliance on his region of origin.

    Also, PDP lacks an effective crisis resolution mechanism, which often makes intra-party conflicts to fester. That was the bedrock of the polarisation of the party ahead of 2015 elections.

    That year, scores of PDP chieftains abandoned the party and teamed up with the APC. Some of them later returned to the PDP after joining forces with APC to frustrate its bid for power at the centre.

    Failing to learn from the past, the party repeated the costly mistake in 2023 by shunning compromise and daring the ‘G-5,’ led by Nyesom Wike, a party financier who suffered the indignity of being betrayed at critical hours. He fought back. The consequence was that APC discovered a crack – a rejected stalwart became very useful to those who appreciated his worth.

    APC has its own challenges too. But the difference between APC and PDP is effective leadership – the ability to commands respect, weave the interests represented by the different tendencies, make sacrifices, avoid self-service, and elevate collective interest over personal aspiration.

    The PDP is facing a test of survival. How would the party resolve the zoning hurdle in 2027? Can it put its house in order, resolve the lingering leadership logjam, forgive and forget the past, choose a new chairman who can galvanise the party, restore discipline, assert party supremacy, promote equity, justice, fair play and due process, and face the future with confident hope and realism?

    The answers lurk in the belly of time.

  • Why we returned to PDP, Enugu LP rep members

    Why we returned to PDP, Enugu LP rep members

    The federal lawmakers representing Igbo-Eze North/Udenu Federal Constituency, Dennis Agbo, and Igbo-Eze South/Nsukka Federal Constituency, Mark Chidi Obetta, have defected from the Labour Party (LP) to the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), insisting that the state governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, has made opposition in the state very difficult with his outstanding performance in all the critical sectors of the state.

    The House of Representatives members were joined by Malachi Onyechi, who represents Nsukka West state constituency in the Enugu State House of Assembly, to return to their former party.

    The lawmakers, who said they were glad the governor runs a transparent, honest and inclusive government, maintained that the Labour Party in Enugu North Senatorial District, also known as Nsukka Zone, had ceased to exist with their defections to the ruling party.

    Speaking at their formal reception at the PDP secretariat in Enugu on Thursday, Agbo lauded Governor Mbah for his visionary approach to leadership, which he noted was already transforming the state in areas of education, security, healthcare services, and other infrastructure.

    He said with the large numbers of supporters that had joined the PDP with them, the LP had nothing remaining in the senatorial zone.

    Read Also: From headwinds to tailwinds – under Tinubu, Nigeria propels forward

    “I say this because Hon Chidi Obetta, Hon Martins Oke representing Igboetiti/Uzo Uwani Federal Constituency, and I also representing Igbo-Eze North/Udenu federal Constituency, and all the House of Assembly members are with us in one place. These are the foot soldiers. We are saying that opposition is very difficult in Enugu now. It is very difficult because one man has made it a mission impossible, and that is the performance of Governor Mbah.

    “And so, let me thank the superlative performing governor for his visionary leadership. He can see very far. With the Smart Schools, he has seen the next generation, and he is preparing the children of Enugu State to participate in that future. There are so many things that he is doing,” he added.

    On his part, Obetta described his return to PDP as a homecoming, saying they had a conviction to return to the party because of Mbah’s leadership and how the state was becoming a reference point for development.

    “My return to the PDP is predicated on the tenets of the development indices we are seeing in Enugu today; the man is too much,” he said, pointing at Mbah’s remarkable achievements in road infrastructure, transport and aviation sector, tourism and hospitality, as well as education, pointing out that the 260 Smart Schools under construction translated to over 7000 technology-driven classrooms throughout the 260 electoral wards across the state.”

    Speaking, Hon Onyechi said he was one of the founding members of PDP in 1999 and had returned to his true home because of the giant strides the governor was making in the state.

    He said Governor Mbah was the first governor to domicile projects worth over N2 billion in each of the electoral wards, explaining why they decided to work closely with him.

    The State Chairman of PDP, Dr. Martin Chukwuweike, assured that the governor would continue to deliver and run an all-inclusive administration.

    He expressed confidence that the 2027 elections in the state would be a walkover for the PDP because of the governor’s performances, declaring an end to the repeat of 2023 elections as the party was now positioned to sweep the state because of what the governor was doing in the state.

  • PDP tackles Diri for sacking aides involved in mega rally

    PDP tackles Diri for sacking aides involved in mega rally

    The Bayelsa State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised Governor Douye Diri for dismissing some of his political appointees who participated in a rally organised by the NEW Associates, a political group loyal to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    In a statement signed by the publicity secretary of the PDP caretaker committee in the state, Derri Wright, the party described the governor’s action as “an alarming demonstration of intolerance and high-handedness” that runs contrary to democratic principles.

    “We strongly condemn the sacking of these political appointees, who identified with the NEW Associates political group and participated in the mega rally held in solidarity with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and FCT Minister Nyesom Ezenwo Wike,” the statement read.

    The PDP further described the move as regrettable, noting that the affected individuals are card-carrying members of the party who played vital roles in securing victory for the PDP during the last governorship election, which returned Governor Diri to office.

    The party urged the governor to reconsider the decision in the spirit of internal democracy and party unity, warning that such actions could deepen divisions and weaken the PDP’s cohesion ahead of future elections. 

    The statement said: “The PDP is deeply concerned about the level of intolerance and abuse of public power exhibited by Governor Diri. It is important to note that neither the government of Bayelsa State nor the treasury of the state belongs personally to Governor Diri.

    “Rather, they are public assets that should be used to serve all citizens equitably and without sentiment or emotion. The party is saddened that the sacked aides committed no known offence that would warrant their dismissal.

    “Sacking these political aides, who believed in our vision as a party and worked diligently to promote inclusivity and civic engagement, represents a severe breach of trust and an affront to democratic participation, which are alien to the PDP.

    Read Also: Diri approves 35% salary structure for Bayelsa civil servants

    “It sends a chilling message to political office holders and citizens alike, discouraging them from aligning with movements that promote positive change and political accountability. Such actions have no place in a democracy and betray the ideals of leadership that we expect from our elected officials.”

    The party called on Diri to reconsider his decision and to embrace the principles of inclusion, respect, and open dialogue.

    The party said: “Our leaders must foster an environment where diverse opinions and grassroots movements are welcomed rather than stifled. Democracy thrives on debate, collaboration, and unity, not on division and fear.

    “We urge all stakeholders, political leaders, and citizens to join us in advocating for a more tolerant and inclusive political culture that honours the contributions of all who seek to uplift our beloved Bayelsa State and Nigeria as a whole”.

  • 2027: Gov Eno hints at possible exit from PDP, compares party to faulty plane

    2027: Gov Eno hints at possible exit from PDP, compares party to faulty plane

    Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has hinted about his potential defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying that the party may no longer serve his political aspirations beyond 2027.

    Speaking during a constituency outreach in Ikot Akpankuk, Ukanafun Local Government Area on Tuesday, Eno likened the PDP to a malfunctioning aircraft, hinting at the possibility of switching to another political platform—an analogy widely interpreted as a nod toward the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    “If you wanted to travel with Ibom Airline, and on the verge of taking off, it developed a fault that won’t enable it to fly, won’t you board the next available plane to take you to your destination?” Eno asked the crowd.

    His remarks come amid rising tensions and defections within the PDP, including the recent move by Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to the APC.

    Read Also: Shettima applauds Gov Eno’s investment in human capital development

    Despite expressing doubts about the PDP’s direction, Eno reaffirmed his commitment to delivering on governance promises. He stressed that service to the people remains his administration’s top priority.

    As part of the outreach, over 400 constituents benefited from empowerment packages, including grants for 154 traders and 116 farmers, N5 million business development funds for four individuals, and equipment support for 131 others.

    Eno urged beneficiaries to use the support wisely and avoid risky ventures like Ponzi schemes. “We need to meet with the people from time to time. Governance doesn’t end at elections,” he said.

    He added that four of the state’s 10 federal constituencies have been engaged so far, with plans to incorporate community needs into the 2026 budget.

    “This government belongs to the people—it is for you, with you, and by you,” Eno emphasized.

  • JUST IN: Shettima receives Oborevwori, Okowa, PDP members to APC in Delta

    JUST IN: Shettima receives Oborevwori, Okowa, PDP members to APC in Delta

    It was a carnival-like atmosphere on Monday in Asaba, the Delta State capital, as a massive crowd of Deltans gathered to witness Vice President Kashim Shettima formally receive Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and the entire Delta State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) into the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The Cenotaph, venue of the event, was transformed into a sea of yellow — the signature colour of Governor Oborevwori’s political family — as party faithful turned out in their thousands, defying the scorching sun to dance and celebrate to music blaring from strategically positioned loudspeakers.

    The grand event attracted an array of dignitaries, including APC National Chairman Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum and Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma, 16 APC governors, members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), federal lawmakers, and ministers.

    President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, represented by Vice President Shettima, described the political realignment as a “tsunami of unimaginable proportions,” praising Governor Oborevwori and immediate past Governor Senator Ifeanyi Okowa for their statesmanship and the unity displayed in leading the defection to the APC.

    Tinubu commended the cordial relationship between the two Delta leaders, expressing confidence that their move would strengthen the APC’s dominance and foster greater political stability in the state and the nation at large.

    He said: “What can be greater than the promise of this day. This is a political tsunami of unimaginable proportions that has never happened in the history of the South-South region and barely in the history of this country.

    “A political tsunami of this proportion has never happened where all the members of the upper chamber of the National Assembly are in the APC.

    “The Speaker and all the members of the House of Assembly. So many members of the House of Representatives, the Governor and his entire cabinet, and 500 councillors across the 25 local government areas of this great state. What testimony do you have greater than this?

    “The true measure of a political party lies not merely in the industry, the very name of its members, but in the conviction. It is, in fact, among those who once stood across from them.

    “This vindication is even more fundamental. When those who once saw us as outsiders and opponents crossed the lines of difference to become part of the enduring family we have built.

    “This historic day, therefore, is both a celebration of the enduring promise of the APC and a tribute to the vision, courage, and foresight of the great giants we have come to welcome into the hall of fame of our political party, along with their devoted followers who are joining us today.

    “I want to pay special tribute to Senator Ifeanyi Okowa for the wonderful relationship that exists between him and his successor

    “Senator Okowa, you are indeed a great leader and Governor Oborevwori, for embracing him, for treating him with respect and decorum, you are even a greater leader,” he said.

    “We are here with our unshaken belief in the power of collaboration, the understanding that we are stronger together than we can ever be apart.

    “What sets the APC apart is not an illusion of uniformity; it is our accepting that differences are inevitable and that greatness lies in managing them.

    “Our tables have always been tables of dialogue, places where every member, no matter how big or small, is welcome to air their grievances.

    “Your Excellencies, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and the other great men and women, we welcome you to the APC today.

    “I bring them the warm assurance of His Excellency President Bola, Ahmed Tendul, GCFR, and all members of the APC.

    “Now that you have come we are all co-owners because according to the constitution of the party, the Governor of the party is the leader of the party in the state, this is now as much as your party as it is ours.

    “You have brought to us a wealth of experience, a breath of wisdom and a measure of strength for which we shall always remain grateful.

    “This is a declaration that the strength of our great nation is alive, a spirit that brings your ambition, your party alliance and sees the larger set of history.

    “Nigeria is greater than all of us, and what we do here today is a step towards strengthening our promise. We welcome you, Your Excellency, not as defectors but as brothers and sisters who have found your rightful place amongst us.

    “We welcome you not as guests but as family, we welcome you as fellow architects of a better Nigeria and may this day be remembered not just by what it signifies today but for the enduring fraternity and vision of source for tomorrow.”

    Responding, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori described the defection as a historic movement in the best interest of the state.

    He pledged to unify the party to ensure total victory for the party in the coming elections.

    “What you have seen here today is a movement, it’s not a defection, it’s a movement. We have done consultation with the National Assembly, with leadership, with stakeholders at the state level, at the senatorial level, at the local government level, at the ward level, and we all decided that we must all join.”

    “This is Delta state we cannot carry last, when we stand for something we remain committed to it, we have been in opposition for almost 10 years.

    “Do we need that? Mr. President has supported us, he has shown us love. We cannot face him in 2027 to work against him. The love that he has shown to us in Delta State, we need to reciprocate it.

    “We cannot do it in our own party. You have to be inside to do it, and to do it well. We have to do it at our party.

    “When you consult widely, you see everybody will come with you, and you can see that the love is organic, you can see my relationship with governors, you see all the governors here

    you see the large numbers of governors yesterday 9 came yesterday and slept today see all of them here I want to bless all of you. I want to thank all of you.

    This is a movement, this is not defection. We have agreed we will move together and when we move together, what is in the national we will be able to grab it.

    “Our members in the National Assembly they are all the next, they have agreed they will all defect on the floor of the house.  Mr Speaker and we have justification to move.

    “All of us want to be in the Renew Hope Agenda, which is in line with my MORE Agenda.

    “For us in Delta State, it’s a statement, and I believe other governors will join because it’s a movement, and when you have a movement, you don’t fail.

    “There are some things people say in the newspaper, that there is confusion, there is a faction.

    “As I have come, there will be no faction again. Let me tell you, APC is not like PDP. The Governor takes charge, and we are taking charge.

    “I don’t believe in any faction, everybody must queue and we will unite the party to move this state forward for the benefit of our people and to bring development, peace and unity to our state and Nigeria.”

    The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, applauded the cordial relationship between the Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori and his predecessor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa.

    Ganduje said the National Working Committee of the party was highly impressed because of the cordial relationship existing between the predecessor and successor which, according to him, is very difficult see in the country.

    “So, we have to thank Dr. Okowa for that good relationship. Ladies and gentlemen, my job is very important, which is accepting, welcoming, and also embracing the Governor and the people of Delta State into our great party, the APC.

    “Mr. Governor, what l would like to tell you while accepting you into our party, is that our core value in APC is progressive leadership and coincidentally, from what we have seen on the ground in respect of your programmes and your projects, you are a progressive Governor.

    “So, we are welcoming you for coming home. We believe in progressive ideas, we believe in proximity, interacting with different levels of our party; we believe in openness, we believe in internal democracy, we believe in self accountability and we thank you for coming in,” he said.

    Read Also: Shettima arrives Asaba to receive Oborevwori into APC fold

    Earlier, the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum and Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma, said the ceremony was quite historic and special in the life of the APC as a political party in Nigeria.

    Senator Uzodinma who disclosed that members of the APC were happy with the new political development in Delta State, said that the All Progressives Congress meant well for the country.

    “We are here to identify with you. We, therefore, urged all Deltans to continue to support their Governor as he consolidates on the achievements his administration has recorded so far,” he added.

    On his part, the immediate past Governor of the State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, explained that the decision to change political direction was made for the common good and in the best interest of the state.

    “It was not about personal ambitions but the need to connect to Abuja, where significant goodwill and resources exist, especially since the state is a major contributor.

    Reflecting on his experience as a former governor in opposition, Okowa emphasised that while Governor Sheriff Oborevwori is performing well, aligning with Abuja would strengthen his efforts.

    “After thorough consultations with stakeholders, it was clear that a bold, strategic, and patriotic move was necessary for the state’s future.”

    He stressed the importance of unity among all members, both old and new, encouraging everyone to embrace each other and work together with a shared purpose.

    He called for strong support for both the President and the Governor, believing that this unity would allow them to dominate the political landscape of Delta State. 

  • 2026: Adeleke not leaving PDP for APC, says forum of Osun commissioners, SAs

    2026: Adeleke not leaving PDP for APC, says forum of Osun commissioners, SAs

    The Osun State Executive Council has dismissed speculations that Governor Ademola Adeleke may dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2026 governorship election.

    Speaking at a press conference held at the Government Secretariat, members of the Forum of Commissioners and Special Advisers reiterated their unwavering support for Governor Adeleke, declaring their commitment to his vision of taking Osun State to greater heights.

    Speaking on behalf of the 35 commissioners and special advisers, Barrister Dosu Babatunde said, “We express our total solidarity and unwavering support for the Governor of Osun State and leader of the PDP in the state, Senator Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke.”

    Babatunde dismissed the rumours of mass defection, describing them as baseless and mischievous fabrications from opposition elements.

    “We read and heard with great consternation the many insinuations being mischievously bandied about by certain political quarters, particularly the opposition, about the looming mass defection of Executive Council members from the ruling PDP.

    “This is not only a political fallacy taken to the extreme but a careless and unguarded insinuation by the usual disgruntled members of the opposition,” he said.

    Read Also: We’ve not lost any genuine supporter of our project from 2022 to date — Adeleke

    He added that the people of Osun would once again demonstrate their support by re-electing Governor Adeleke in 2026.

    Responding to questions from journalists, Babatunde reaffirmed, “Governor Adeleke remains a PDP governor. Many other governors across Nigeria are applauding his developmental efforts in Osun State.

    “He is not moving to any other political party; it is even wicked to suggest such. We, the Executive Council members, are very close to him and have resolved to stay in the PDP and continue building it to greater heights. The Governor’s developmental strides will continue within the PDP.”

  • PDP’s fateful trajectory

    PDP’s fateful trajectory

    Who exactly is the National Secretary of the party?” Olajumoke Olatunji of TVC News asked a senior member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Adetokunbo Pearse, on the interview programme “Politics Tonight” on 15 April, 2025. Dr. Pearse replied: “As we stand now, Udeh-Okoye is the National Secretary of the party. … It is only at the National Convention of the party that you can legally, formally, properly decide on this issue, even though it has been decided in-house indirectly.”

    In an 18 April, 2025 interview of former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose on the Channels Television programme “Politics Today”, Seun Okinbaloye commented: “The PDP and its state of affairs worry a lot of people who watch our democracy and its development in the country. How can a major opposition party be decimated this badly? Bloody nose in … three consecutive elections.”

    Moreover, on 21 April, 2025, Daily Trust reported Dr Kabiru Sufi, a political analyst and Senior Lecturer at Skyline University, Kano, to have noted: “Despite its strength and its past chances, the PDP is withering away for now, considering the divisions within. The fault lines are increasing by the day. We used to have maybe two opposing camps – now three, then four, now five.”

    The party was in government at the federal level from 1999, when the Fourth Republic started, to 2015, when the vitality of Nigeria’s democratic culture was established with the defeat of the ruling party by the erstwhile new opposition All Progressives Congress (APC). After its 2015 loss, leaders of the PDP appeared to have been so demoralised that the party was left enervated and virtually rudderless.

    Then the Governor of Rivers State at the time, Nyesom Wike, stepped in, and provided funding and other forms of support. These halted the party’s slide, but it remained fairly anaemic. And the PDP has been manifesting different forms of that political anaemia ever since.

    The condition of the party was aggravated on 28 May, 2022 when, at the party’s special convention and presidential primary, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar won with 371 votes and Wike trailed him with 237. But that election had complicated antecedents and aftermath. Section 7(2)(c) of the PDP constitution states: “In pursuance of the principle of equity, justice and fairness, the party shall adhere to the policy of rotation and zoning of party and public elective offices.”

    Read Also: Atiku and the Delta defections

    The interpretation of this constitutional provision by some PDP stakeholders, such as Governor Nyesom Wike (who is at present the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory – FCT) and Chief Bode George, who is a member of the Board of Trustees of the party, was that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar ought not to have contested the primary election. They held this view because the position of National Chairman of the party was already being held by another northerner, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu. In addition, the incumbent President of the country at the time, President Muhammadu Buhari, who was on the verge of completing eight straight years of democratic governance, was also a northerner, even though a member of the APC.

    Moreover, the acceptance by the Delta State Governor at the time, Ifeanyi Okowa, to be Atiku Abubakar’s Vice-Presidential candidate touched a raw nerve. On 17 June, 2022, Vanguard reported the issue as follows: “In a statement collectively signed by Chief (Dr.) Edwin Kiagbodo Clark, OFR, CON, Leader SMBLF/PANDEF, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, Leader, Afenifere, Pogu Bitrus, President-General, Middle Belt Forum, Ambassador (Prof.) George Obiozor and President-General, Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, Okowa was … lampooned for accepting the Vice Presidential ticket.”

    Part of the statement read: “It bears recalling that the 17 Governors of the Southern States of Nigeria, both of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), under the Chairmanship of the Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN, met in Asaba, the capital of Delta State on May 11, 2021, and took far-reaching decisions, including that, based on the principles of fairness, equity and justice, the presidency should rotate to the south, at the end of the statutory eight years of President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure. And this very Governor Okowa was the host of that historic meeting.”

    According to Vanguard, the statement continued: “The Southern Governors later met again in Lagos, on July 5, where they reaffirmed their decision, and again in Enugu, on September 16, to restate the call that the presidency should rotate to the south in 2023. … It is, therefore, most unfortunate that the Governor of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa who should know better, accepted his appointment as running mate to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. We do not have anything personal against Ifeanyi Okowa but his action is treacherous and tantamount to a despicable pawning of the political future of the people of Southern Nigeria.” Many southerners therefore decided not to vote for the Atiku-Okowa PDP presidential ticket.

    After the PDP’s 2023 presidential election loss, Ayu was suspended by his ward on 26 March, 2023 for working against the party at different levels; and the next day, an interim court injunction restrained him from parading himself as the National Chairman of the PDP. The 28 March, 2023 issue of Premium Times in a story titled, “UPDATED: PDP replaces Ayu as national chairman,” reported the PDP spokesperson, Debo Ologunagba, as declaring: “The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party at an emergency meeting today, Tuesday, March 28, acknowledged the Order of the Benue State High Court, dated March 27, 2023 with regards to the chairmanship position of our great party.”

    The spokesperson declared further: “After a careful consideration of the Court Order and in line with Section 45 (2) of the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017), the NWC resolved that the Deputy National Chairman (North) His Excellency, Amb. Umar Iliya Damagum assume the National Chairmanship of our great Party in acting capacity with effect from today, Tuesday, March 28, 2023.” But after a while, Damagum himself began to face his own problems with some sections of the PDP, and he was purported to have been suspended from the position of Acting National Chairman.

    This led to litigation, and Channels Television reported as follows about the 11 October, 2024 judgement: “The Federal High Court in Abuja has restrained the National Executive Committee (NEC) and Board of Trustees (BoT) of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) from removing Umar Damagum as the Acting National Chairman of the party. Justice Peter Lifu ordered that no person other than Damagum should be recognised as PDP national chairman until the party’s national convention scheduled for December 2025.” Channels Television further reported: “The judge held that in line with articles 42, 47, and 67 of PDP, it is only at the national convention of the party that national officers can be elected.”

    Regarding the controversy on who the real National Secretary of the party should be, on 21 March, 2025, the Supreme Court ruled that the issue was an internal affair of the PDP, and that the courts had no jurisdiction over it. So, Senator Samuel Anyanwu maintains that having not resigned from his position, and having not listed the position of governorship candidate, by the PDP constitution, as a position which can qualify a person to have automatically resigned from a party office they were previously holding, he remains the National Secretary of the party until the National Convention holds.

    PDP Chieftain, Daboikiabo Warmate, who like FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, supports Anyanwu’s position, defended the arguments spiritedly in a 17 April, 2025 interview with Arise News. Warmate also argued that the PDP Governors Forum is not recognised by the PDP constitution as an organ of the party, and that the governors overreached themselves at their 14 April, 2025 Ibadan meeting, by purportedly appointing an Acting National Secretary, where a vacancy did not exist.

    Barrister Nyesom Wike has consistently stated that he would support President Tinubu’s second term election, and so has PDP’s Akwa Ibom State Governor Eno Umo. More concretely, Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori announced his defection to APC, along with the total structure of the PDP in the state, on 23 April, 2025. Moreover, according to the Daily Trust of 21 April, 2025, there has been “a new campaign billboard in Iwo Local Government Area of Osun State featuring both Tinubu and Adeleke. … The APC in Osun accused the PDP of attempting to ride on Tinubu’s popularity to boost Adeleke’s profile.”

    In addition, PDP’s former Governor Fayose has explicitly declared that he would work for APC’s Ekiti State Governor Abiodun Oyebanji’s second term election success. Furthermore, the Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Christopher Zakka Maikalangu, all the councillors in the council and over 20,000 supporters were reported to have defected to the APC on 17 April, 2025, to avoid an uncertain political future due to the seemingly intractable crises in the PDP.

    According to PDP’s former Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswan in a 15 April, 2025 Arise News interview, “There are very fundamental problems in PDP. Those problems have not been sorted out, and so a lot of people, in their minds, are no longer in PDP. …  And that is why, because of the failure of leadership in PDP, a lot of people feel that they are politicians and so they should begin to engage other stakeholders across other parties.”

    Like former Governor Suswan who said, “People have lost confidence completely in PDP,” party elder Chief Bode George in a 14 April, 2025 interview with Seun Okinbaloye on Channels Television remarked: “My party is in total confusion now.”

    Similarly, in a 29 January, 2025 Channels Television report of a National Secretaryship reconciliation meeting convened by Ambassador Damagum, the PDP’s Acting National Chairman noted: “Most of this crisis that you see today within the NWC is propelled by our leaders that are supposed to unite us. Some of us are also complicit. And I want to use this opportunity to caution us, caution our leaders. You may have ambition, but you don’t ride on a dead horse to reach your destination.”

    The foregoing notwithstanding, Segun Sowunmi, who has been interested in becoming the National Chairman of PDP, appealed in a 20 April, 2025 Arise News interview: “Please, anybody who’s giving up on PDP now, I’ll just say to you wait until we count the votes [in 2027] and let’s see who’s going to win. But I can guarantee you the PDP will put in a good heart. We’ll put in a best fight. We’ll try to bring the best candidate.”

    Meanwhile, the complex web of acrimony between different tendencies within the PDP is mutually discomfiting. It is like the case of the fowl and the clothes line. When a fowl perches on a clothes line, neither the line nor the fowl is at ease.

  • Defection: Challenges in PDP will not advance development of Delta – Aniagwu

    Defection: Challenges in PDP will not advance development of Delta – Aniagwu

    Delta Government has said that the challenges currently being faced by the PDP, particularly at the national, necessitated the decamping of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and others to the ruling APC.

    The state’s Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu disclosed this, in a statement, on Saturday in Asaba.

    Aniagwu said that remaining in the PDP due to the challenges would not advance the development of Delta and its people.

    He said, “The decision to leave the party was carefully and primarily taken to avoid leading the state and its citizens into a bleak future, similar to the experience of Zamfara State.

    “You will recall that since 1999, when the current Republic began, the PDP has held sway in Delta and made significant inroads in the state.

    “In Delta, the PDP was actually strong before our decision to move. So, it’s not a question of the PDP being weak in Delta that led to this development.

    “I am very sure we have followed the developments at the national level of the party.

    “The last straw was when the party’s governors met in Ibadan and decided not to collaborate or merge with anyone. Instead, they invited others to join the PDP.

    “That decision did not come from a position of strength, especially given the issues affecting the party’s vital organs.

    “You may also recall what happened to the APC in Zamfara in 2019, where all elected candidates were removed due to irregularities in the party’s nomination processes.

    “With what is happening in the PDP, we believe the efforts to address these issues are not strong enough to prevent a similar situation in 2027.”

    The commissioner also said that the defection to the APC was also driven by the desire to further strengthen the relationship and cooperation with the Federal Government under President Bola Tinubu.

    “The present administration has been fair in bringing development to Delta.

    “I am discussing the situation as it affects us in Delta, other states may have different views, but we have evidence that the Tinubu administration is bringing projects to our state.

    “The First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, has visited Delta twice to show support for our people. This development, along with issues in the PDP, led the party leaders in Delta to chart a new course.

    “This was not just the governor’s decision, but a collective one.

    “In a democracy, the majority view matters, and PDP leaders and stakeholders in Delta called on the political family to join the APC to advance the growth and development of our state.

    “The people felt the PDP no longer offered a viable political future, and they did not want to fade into political irrelevance, hence the move,” he said.

    Read Also: Oil theft: private security personnel, others get training on non- violence strategy in Delta

    Aniagwu advised critics, particularly the PDP leaders;  Sen. Bukola Saraki and Chief Olabode George to refrain from commenting, especially when their past actions contributed to the fragmentation of the PDP.

    According to him, you will recall that in 2023, some leaders openly opposed the party’s presidential candidate.

    “Nonetheless, we ask them to be understanding because, ultimately, politics is local.

    “This move is to ensure the continued progress and welfare of our people, which is why we are in politics in the first place.”

    He appealed to party members to work together to ensure unity and electoral success both in the state and across the country.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that on April 23, Gov. Oborevwori, his predecessor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, and the entire state  PDP structure defected the ruling APC.

    (NAN)