Following a wave of defections to the APC, the PDP has suffered major setbacks, leaving many wondering if the once-dominant opposition party can recover.
The recent defection of Enugu Governor Peter Mbah and Bayelsa Governor Douye Diri to the ruling APC has further weakened the PDP’s hold, reducing the number of states under its control and tightening the APC’s political dominance.
Prior to the defections, the PDP held 11 states in 2023, but the current wave has cut that number, giving the APC control of 24 states. While some view the defections as politically motivated, others see them as long overdue.
According to Governor Mbah, the people of Enugu stood by the PDP through thick and thin, yet their voices were ignored when it mattered most. He emphasized that the party’s failure to zone its 2023 presidential ticket to the South-East and its refusal to recognize Sunday Udeh-Okoye, a former PDP youth leader, as national secretary contributed to his decision to leave.
In Bayelsa, Governor Diri’s defection was equally significant. He reportedly left the PDP with 17 members of the party’s caucus in the House of Assembly but has yet to officially announce his new political affiliation.
As it stands, the PDP now controls only eight states: Adamawa (Ahmadu Fintiri), Bauchi (Bala Mohammed), Plateau (Caleb Mutfwang), Taraba, Zamfara (Dauda Lawal), Oyo (Seyi Makinde), Rivers (Siminalayi Fubara), and Osun (Ademola Adeleke).
The party’s leadership is growing uneasy over the trend. Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Bala Mohammed, addressed the situation, expressing deep concern.
“If you ask me whether I am concerned about our governors leaving for APC, I am more than concerned. But leadership is a burden. As a leader of a group of equal status, I cannot determine the decisions or inactions of my colleagues, but certainly, a lot of work is being done behind the scenes,” Mohammed said.
With defections mounting and morale waning, the question remains whether the PDP can rebuild its strength or fade further into political irrelevance. The coming months will tell if the party still has the will, and the unity, to rise again.
