Is the decamping of Gov. Oborevwori, Okowa PDP’s death knell?

By Usman Santuraki Beti

It was a rumour but later became a reality. It was said that all the governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will eventually decamp to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). What made it a reality is the cross-carpeting of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta state alongside all the state’s elected officials including commissioners, his political mentor and predecessor, Ifeanyi Okowa, who was the PDP’s 2023 presidential running mate.

This was after weeks of denials and speculations. The defection led to the collapse of the entire PDP structure into the ruling APC, thereby ending the 26-year run of the PDP in the governance of Delta state. It was reported earlier, that at least five PDP governors would defect to the ruling party before the 2027 elections.

If the governors defect, it would reduce the number of the PDP governors to a far cry from its peak as a ruling party in 2007 when it held 29 of Nigeria’s 36 states. The founding fathers of the PDP are grieving how the party was saturated with unprincipled politicians and leaders elected on its platform.

Sources within the party allege that a gentleman’s pact has been sealed between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and some of the PDP governors, especially those in their first term. The pact is that President Tinubu will get the support of the governors without necessarily defecting to the APC. They will help deliver the president in their respective states, while he, in turn, will provide support for them to win their re-election. That was why the governor of Akwa Ibom state openly said he will give his support to the president in 2027.

The political space is dicey for the PDP. Most of the defections by the PDP stalwarts are probably because the elected officials cannot make it to the second term, especially for the Delta state governor, taking into cognisance that neither the APC nor PDP won the 2023 election in the state. Thus, the present governor wouldn’t have risked defecting to the APC if he didn’t have some cogent assurances to tilt the 2027 election to his favour.

Some have attributed the defections to the APC as a self-serving method to remain relevant politically as well as Nigeria not having a viable opposition. The opposition has to be serious in order to build a robust opposition in the country.

Of recent, the PDP in various states has been at odds with the leadership of the party leading to internal division especially at the national level that is still rocking it.

A once flourishing party that united the diverse people of Nigeria and ruled the country for 16 consecutive years is today near extinct because of unprincipled politicians, who use its platform to ascend the mantle of leadership in various states in the federation. It is a sad moment for those who founded the PDP on how the party is going into extinction before the 2027 elections.

What remains for the party is proper introspection for genuine members who believe in the cause of the party and as former Senate President Bukola Saraki said “those who want to leave should leave so that we can reposition the party for the future”.

However, the defection of the Delta state governor and others including Senator Okowa may in the long run be a blessing in disguise for the PDP. The party should cleanse itself of individuals whose loyalty to the cause of the party is in doubt.

The stake is high for the PDP to adopt a stringent measure in giving out its ticket to people to vie for any elective office at the upcoming convention. The party’s ticket should be given to only genuine members, who believe 100 per cent in the cause of the party, not to those called “passing politicians” who want to use the party for an elective office and after ascending the position suddenly make U-turn and decamp to another party or the ruling party.

This will go a long way in nipping in the bud the unwarranted decamping of the people elected under the PDP to other political parties not necessarily the ruling party.

Usman Santuraki Beti is a Public Affairs Analyst.