Why Our Governors Are Defecting — PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused governors defecting from its ranks of greed and selfishness, saying Nigerians will ultimately determine their political fate in the 2027 general elections. The party maintained that it is the people, not governors, who sustain political movements, and warned that those abandoning the platform that brought them to power would soon regret their decision.

Since the 2023 general elections, four governors—Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta, Pastor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom, Peter Mbah of Enugu, and Douye Diri of Bayelsa—have defected from the PDP. The party’s 2023 presidential candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and his running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa, have also withdrawn their memberships, alongside several key allies.

Speaking on Arise Television, PDP Deputy National Publicity Secretary Ibrahim Abdullahi described the defections as acts of “greed, avarice, and selfishness.” He said there was no justification for governors, especially those in their second terms, to abandon the party that brought them to prominence. Abdullahi insisted the PDP remains strong despite its internal challenges and said the party was addressing issues to reposition itself as a credible opposition ahead of 2027.

Responding to the PDP’s criticism, Enugu Governor Peter Mbah’s Special Adviser on Media, Dan Nwomeh, said the party’s reaction was expected. He maintained that the governor had already explained his reasons for leaving, arguing that it was impossible to remain in a party “where our voice doesn’t count.”

Abdullahi, however, dismissed such explanations and said the PDP was focused on its forthcoming national convention in Ibadan, which he claimed would “change the face of the party.” He described the defectors as “selfish elements driven by greed and coercion from the ruling party,” insisting that their exit offered the PDP an opportunity to cleanse itself.

He also rejected claims that the South East had been marginalised under the PDP, noting that the region had produced five Senate Presidents and several prominent ministers. Abdullahi accused Governor Mbah of neglecting party activities, claiming he had not attended any major PDP meeting in Abuja for years. He also criticised former Enugu governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, saying he had “diminished his political stature.”

In a separate interview, South South Zonal Caretaker Chairman of the PDP, Elder Emmanuel Ogidi, alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was coercing PDP governors to defect. Ogidi said the APC’s goal was to turn Nigeria into a one-party state, adding that many governors were under pressure to abandon the opposition. The APC and the presidency have denied these allegations, insisting the opposition’s woes are self-inflicted.

Political analyst and founding national secretary of the defunct Alliance for Democracy, Professor Udenta O. Udenta, also condemned the defections, describing the governors as “cowardly and gutless.” He said they lacked political conviction and were betraying the people’s trust. Udenta compared them to President Bola Tinubu, who, he said, prepared deliberately for power and resisted PDP dominance in the South West between 1999 and 2007.

Udenta argued that many defectors lacked the courage to uphold the principles of federalism, preferring to align with the centre for personal gain. He said the South East benefitted greatly under PDP governments and criticised claims of marginalisation. According to him, the region’s political elite had failed to use their access to power effectively. He warned that Nigeria’s multi-party democracy was under threat, urging patriots to defend opposition parties as a safeguard against authoritarianism.

Meanwhile, the crisis within the PDP deepened on Thursday as a Federal High Court in Abuja restated its order for all parties to maintain the status quo in a suit seeking to stop the party’s national convention scheduled for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan. Justice James Omotosho warned against any act of defiance and promised to deliver judgment before the end of October.

The suit was filed by three aggrieved party members seeking to halt the convention. The hearing was marked by a dramatic confrontation between PDP’s acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, and National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN), over who has the authority to appoint the party’s legal representatives. Justice Omotosho adjourned the matter until October 20 for definite hearing and directed all parties to exchange their court processes by October 17.