2027: Top PDP Governors May Defect to APC — Report
- The national secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja may soon erupt in jubilation
- Talks of his imminent defections to the APC have surfaced following recent fraternisation between PDP governors and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, an influential APC chieftain
- Before the factionalisation of the PDP’s leadership, the running of the affairs of the party by Umar Damagum had been characterised by intrigues, and shadow-boxing, which made it difficult for the party to progress and challenge the APC
TheTalk.NG journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering politics, elections, and governance.
Kano, Kano state – Ahead of the 2027 general elections, it has emerged that some governors who are members of Nigeria’s main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), may defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
TheTalk.NG reports that virtually every organ and caucus of the PDP appears factionalised and is engaged in proxy squabbles for the party’s soul.
PDP disputes may prompt notable defections to APC.Source: Twitter
The internal discord, according to sources, is fuelled by a struggle to control the party’s structure ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
In a report on Monday, January 6, 2025, Vanguard newspaper said there are moves by some PDP governors to dump the party.
According to the newspaper, a source revealed that discussions are ongoing. The chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) and Imo state governor, Hope Uzodimma, is alleged to be involved in the wooing of the governors as part of moves to enlarge the coast of his party.
Recall that Sheriff Oborevwori, governor of Delta, who recently asked the people of his state to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, had said one of the major communication policy thrusts of his administration was to consistently support the administration of Tinubu ‘as he continues to deliver the ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda for the betterment of Nigerians’.
In the same vein, on Saturday, January 4, 2025, President Tinubu praised Peter Mbah, the governor of Enugu state, for his leadership style and ‘commitment to development’, describing him as a focused and result-oriented governor.
Tinubu, who spoke during his first official visit to Enugu, where he commissioned several projects, said Mbah was doing a fantastic job and expressed happiness that the state was ‘making great strides’.
Snapshot of APC
Founded in 2013, the APC came to being as a result of a merger of Nigeria’s main opposition parties at the time. The party gained power following the victory of its candidate at the time, Muhammadu Buhari, in the 2015 presidential election. Since then, the APC has not relinquished power.
TheTalk.NG reports that a substantial number of APC’s leaders are followers of or politicians who subscribe to the social democratic political philosophy of the late Obafemi Awolowo and the socialist and anti-class views of Aminu Kano. The majority of the party’s base of support is in southwestern and northern Nigeria, which are dominated by the Yoruba and the Hausa-Fulani, respectively.
Prominent PDP lawmakers defect to APC
Earlier, TheTalk.NG reported that the APC secured an additional seat in the house of representatives following the defection of Abubakar Gumi from the PDP.
Speaker Tajudeen Abbas announced the news during a plenary session, reading Gumi’s defection letter on the House floor.
Gumi, who represents the Gummi/Bukkuyum Federal Constituency in Zamfara state, cited the ongoing crisis within the PDP ranks in his constituency as the reason for changing party.
Source: TheTalk.NG
