PDP defection response stresses Nigeria won’t become a one-party state despite high-profile exits to APC, insists opposition remains strong.
PDP defection response has pushed back against fears that Nigeria may slide into a ne-party system, following a wave of high-profile defections to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
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Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mr Hakeem Olalemi, Vice Chairman of the Lagos State PDP (Central District), dismissed recent exits by governors and lawmakers as acts driven by self-interest, not principle.
Olalemi insisted the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) remains a party in the hearts of Nigerians, despite defections by figures like Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom, Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu, and Delta State’s Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.
“This country cannot afford a one-party state,” Olalemi said. “Authoritarianism thrives where opposition is silenced. But Nigerians are not blind to the failures of the APC and will show this at the polls.”
He confirmed that the party’s upcoming November convention will strengthen internal unity and set the tone for a reinvigorated opposition ahead of the 2027 elections.
He also questioned the motives of the defectors, stating, “If you leave a political party because of internal crisis, that’s not leadership—it’s an escape. Real leaders fix problems, they don’t flee.”
The PDP chieftain added that party-switching is not new to Nigerian politics, but what matters is the intention behind such moves.
“If there are crises in your family, do you abandon it? These defections don’t worry us. They only expose the character of those who left,” he said confidently.
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Despite growing speculation, Olalemi affirmed that the PDP would not crumble. “We’ll be standing strong in 2027. Mark my words.”
