The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is facing its worst time as a political party in Nigeria.

Apart from the 2015 general elections, when then Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State led four of his colleagues out of the party, the PDP has never had it so bad.

The recent gale of defections from the party to the All Progressives Congress, APC, has ultimately put the once viable party in a state of confusion.

While defectors blame happenings in the party for their decision, others see them as selfish politicians.

Four governors dump PDP for APC in 2025

Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State, his immediate predecessor, Ifeanyi Okowa, and all members of the PDP in the state had in April this year defected to the APC and opened the flood gate of defections.

The announcement was made in Asaba, the Delta State capital, by Senator James Manager, shortly after a meeting that lasted over six hours at the Government House, Asaba

Umo Eno – Akwa Ibom State

In June, Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State followed suit when he officially defected from the PDP to APC, ending months of speculation over his possible move to the ruling party.

Eno, who has announced his decision at a town hall meeting in Ikot Abasi, said “it is time to move” and align the state to APC at the federal level, adding that his decision was taken after extensive consultations.

The Pastor-turn governor, who went biblical, aligned himself with the children of Ichaka in the Holy Bible, who were able to interpret the times and flow with the tide as a justification for joining the APC.

Peter Mbah – Enugu State

On Tuesday, Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, while announcing his defection from the PDP to the APC said he joined the ruling party because the voice of his people was not recognized.

Dismissing claims that his defection was a betrayal of the PDP, a platform under which he was elected, Mbah his decision rooted in the belief that the former ruling party could no longer “serve the people optimally.”

He said: “This is not a betrayal; it is also not abandonment.

“It is more about understanding that I was entrusted with the people’s mandate by the people, and it is also a responsibility on me to carry that same mandate on a platform that will best serve the people.”

Douye Diri – Bayelsa

A day later, Wednesday, the news of Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State’s defection from the PDP to the APC was announced by his Chief Press Secretary, Daniel Alabrah.

Alabrah announced Diri’s resignation from the PDP alongside the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Abraham Ingobere and all the party members in the state legislature.

With the defections, some stakeholders within the political sphere have expressed their views over the development and its implication on the PDP ahead of 2027 elections.

PDP paying price over Atiku’s refusal to respect zoning in 2023 election – Peter Obi’s ex-aide, Katchy Ononuju

Former Special Adviser on Public Affairs to ex-Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, Katchy Ononuju, said the PDP is paying the price for ex-Vice President, Atiku Abubakar’s refusal to obey zoning during the build-up of the 2023 presidential election.

Ononuju said if PDP has adhered to zoning during the last presidential election, it won’t be battling with its current crisis.

Speaking with DAILY POST, he said: “What it tells you is PDP is paying the price for not respecting zoning in the last election. You know, politically, when a party does something very bad, the payment will come later on.

“If Atiku had respected zoning, PDP wouldn’t be where it is now, because he refused that’s why we are where we are. That being where we are is the PDP. If Atiku hadn’t run today the PDP would have been president because the combined votes of the party have been so much that we would not be where we are.

“So, what I tell everybody, since this has been opening up, is that the party will bring a strong lesson for people next time to respect zoning.

“When you refused to zone in 2023, the Southerners did exactly the same thing the Northerners did in 2015, and this led the party to go and vote for the Buhari coalition, and that was then also formed by members of the nPDP, because it is their joining of the APC coalition that brought this.

“So, the party should have learnt and not allowed Atiku Abubakar’s insistence to make it refuse to zone. It has finally found its mistake and that’s why it has now zoned to the South. But as we’re seeing, it seems so late. But then it’s also a good thing it has set the tone.

“I tell everybody who’s listening, now you can see that Atiku Abubakar’s inordinate ambition has finally killed the PDP.”

PDP can bounce back

Ononuju noted that the former ruling party can still bounce back ahead of the 2027 elections.

He said: “If they can fix it back, if it comes down to its convention, it’s still the party with the most ability to do better than anyone else, because it has done the fundamental correctness and it has zoned to the South. Yes, it can bounce back in 2027 because the idea of having the governors cross over to APC simply means it will not be easy for the PDP to go on without its governors.

“But don’t forget, Atiku Abubakar won in a lot of states that were controlled by the APC coalition in the last elections. So sometimes the voting population does not exactly go with whoever the governor is at the top.

“Don’t forget, Tinubu was in control of Lagos with Sanwo-Olu, but they lost Lagos state to Peter Obi. Same thing I will tell you about FCT that was under the presidency and yet the APC lost to Peter Obi.”

Govs alone don’t win elections

The former aide to Obi noted that governors alone can’t determine electoral outcomes in presidential elections.

He said: “So sometimes it is not always the governor that determines electoral outcomes in presidential elections. No, it is not always.

“You cannot capture a state with defections. Don’t forget, defection of a governor does not give the state to any presidential candidate during election. No political party can capture a state electorally through defections. No, it doesn’t work that way if it comes to the presidential election. So bear that in mind.

“It will be a little bit difficult because it is the people who vote. But because of our flawed elections, the use of governors to violently spend the resources of the state in using the money of the state to organize for the candidate it supports at the center, that has advantage.

“But you need to understand that does not necessarily win the state for the party being supported by the governor,” he added.

Defections show Atiku was never PDP’s problem – Aide

Atiku’s media aide, Paul Ibe, who defended his boss, said the defections had shown that the former Vice president was never PDP’s problem.

He insisted that the PDP was the one giving Atiku problems and not the other way around.

“In line with the constitutional provision of freedom of association, everybody determines who they associate with, so nobody should abridge that right.

‘Those who are defecting are in the best position to know why they are choosing or electing to choose a different party people to associate with, it’s up to them.

“Ultimately, it is voters who will have the final say as to their decision. They thought Atiku was the problem, now he has left the PDP and this has shown clearly that he wasn’t the problem. The insect that destroys vegetables is inside the vegetables, it’s what the Yorubas say.

“People have been playing the ostrich, nobody wants to tell themselves the truth. And the truth is dawning on everybody and Atiku Abubakar was never, he wasn’t, and will never be the problem of the PDP. He has left them to the problem. They were the ones giving him wahala, not the other way around,” he told DAILY POST.

PDP will remain – AA National Chairman

On his part, the National Chairman of the Action Alliance, AA, Kenneth Udeze, said the PDP will remain despite the defection hitting the party below the belt.

Speaking with DAILY POST, Udeze said: “For the mere fact that the party remains a corporate entity, being manned by individuals who subscribe to the constitution, as long as there is life within the party, as long as there is no deregistration of such party, or the death by corporate dismantling based on membership understanding, the PDP will remain.

“The only thing I’m talking about from a political point of view, it looks as if there is nothing they can achieve again, but the most important thing is that the party based on those who are committed in the system, they have to remain there to save the soul of the party.

“It’s unfortunate that this wave of defection is hitting them below the belt but where there is focus and purposeful intention to maintain the life and the soul of the party, I believe those who are really committed by blood, those who are really committed to the protection of the life wire, the constitution of the party, the party will likely bounce back.

“One thing very unfortunate in Nigeria is that people win an election under a platform and when they feel that the party in power is virtually putting institutions in check, institutions they are going to most likely use to win the upcoming election in 2027, politicians who are not really popular, who felt that if they go into an election with the way things are going, having the difficulties of the situation, the poverty, the income context, that most likely Nigerians are going to come to make a statement, so they are not so sure that if there is a fair and fair election, whether they will return back.

“You see them defecting, thinking that maybe the magic wand of Mr. President can save them but it is not going to really be like that.

“I see the election of 2027 where the masses will come, God will speak, nature will speak, political happenstance will speak in 2027. I foresee this coming and there will surely be a way.”

Defectors are politicians without balls, Nigerians should consider upcoming parties

He urged Nigerians to consider upcoming political parties like the AA because defectors lack “balls.”

Udeze said: “I see those defecting as people that don’t have balls, as people, politicians that don’t have the capacity to run an election and remain where they are, that is why Nigerians need to start considering parties that are coming up, parties that have built their structure like Action Alliance, the party where I belong since 2005 when it was registered.

“So people should start thinking about looking back and figuring out how to run some of these parties. So in as much as we are defecting, we also believe that it’s a blessing in disguise.

“But don’t forget that this defection and counter defection is still within the threads of the same feather, those men that have been ruling Nigeria since 1999 are all the same thing, it’s just rebranding.”

Nigerian politicians lack ideology – Ex-Arewa Forum scribe, Sani

On his part, former Secretary of Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, Anthony Sani, said Nigerian politicians lack ideology and principles.

He told DAILY POST: “The gale of defections by PDP governors to APC is a testament to the view that Nigerian politicians are not driven by ideology and principles but inspired by electability of the political party.

“Currently, because the coalition is split into three factions of PDP, ADC and LP, the PDP governors do not see the possibility of the party prevailing in the elections come 2027, especially when regard is paid to 2023 when President Bola Tinubu rose from the ashes of opposition split.”

PDP will survive, split into factions in 2027

He expressed hope that the former ruling party will survive but may split into factions in 2027.

“I expect PDP to survive because democracy without viable opposition is a sham. I am pretty sure that those PDP members who are distant runners with staying power will keep the party alive.

“I have told you that what happened to the party in 2023 when the party split to three factions namely PDP, LP and Wike’s G5 will repeat itself in 2027,” he added.

Meanwhile, the PDP currently controls eight states- Adamawa, Rivers, Plateau, Osun, Bauchi, Oyo, Taraba and Zamfara.