Less than a year, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has lost three governors to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC. With barely two years to the 2023 general elections, the ranks of the main opposition party is thinning even as pundits argue that a return to the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, though possible, may prove a long walk for the once dominant political party. Dirisu Yakubu writes that for the party to forge a common front ahead of the big test, national chairman, Prince Uche Secondus must no longer dismiss speculations of defection of PDP bigwigs to the APC with a wave of the hand.

By Dirisu Yakubu

Shortly after its 2017 elective convention which brought on board the Prince Uche Secondus-led National Working Committee, NWC; the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, welcomed three governors to its fold from the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Governors Samuel Ortom, Aminu Tambuwal and Abdulfatai Ahmed of Benue, Sokoto and (then Kwara) states respectively returned to the party, having left earlier to join forces to build a new political platform (APC) in preparation for the 2015 elections.

Apart from the governors, political heavyweights comprising of former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, the then-Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara also returned to the PDP, blaming what they called the lack of democratic culture in the APC as reason for their defection. However, Nigerians attributed the development to the leadership of Secondus and singled him out for praise for the coup-like invasion of the ruling party and subsequent harvest of the big fishes.

Things got even better for the party when in the 2019 general election; it succeeded in leveraging on its popularity even as an opposition party to win additional states to add to its portfolio of 11 prior to the polls. It won in Adamawa, Oyo and Bauchi, states hitherto controlled by the ruling party, and came close to re-enacting the feat in Osun state.

Only last year, the Secondus-led NWC successfully delivered Godwin Obaseki, the Edo state governor, elected first on the APC platform but who was denied opportunity to contest the primaries owing largely to the feud between him and his ex-godfather and former governor of the state, Comrade Oshiomhole. Playing back the tapes of Oshiomhole pleading with Edolites not to have anything thing to do with Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the then governorship candidate of the PDP in 2016; the party this time, tasked voters not to fall for the former union leader, adding that if the pastor-turned politician was not good enough four years earlier; no miracle had changed him in 2020. As it turned out, Obaseki won with a huge margin, sending shock waves across the camp of the Oshiomhole-backed APC.

However, things began to change for the PDP as rumours of defection of Ebonyi state governor, Dave Umahi surfaced in the media not long after. Umahi flew a cat when at a public function; he described himself as a member of both the PDP and the APC. Reporters capable of reading meanings to words uttered pointed out a possible romance between Umahi, then of the PDP and the ruling party. The national leadership of the PDP dismissed the speculations, insisting that Umahi would do no such thing.

In November 2020, the governor left alongside a good number of his political associates. Questions were asked as to what could have convinced Umahi of the move, with answers not readily available. Tired of the insinuations, the governor fingered the failure of the PDP to zone the 2023 Presidency to the South-East as the singular most potent factor that engineered his exit. The zone, he insisted had paid its dues and loyalty to the cause of the PDP since 1999, arguing that time had indeed come for such sacrifice to be appreciated.

A few months ago, rumours of same variant hit the news wave, this time in the South-South state of Cross River. The governor, Professor Ben Ayade was being courted by the APC discreetly. When the a delegation of PDP Governors’ Forum led by its chairman and governor of Sokoto state visited the Professor of Environmental Microbiology in a bid to stop his defection; Ayade pointed out injustice, without going into details as to how that was pushing him gradually out of the PDP. Six months after Umahi’s exit, Ayade also left.

Earlier in the week, the defection train hit the North-West, playing guest to Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara state. But unlike the rest, Matawalle’s defection was in the news for close to a year and the man did little to deny it. He tactically avoided party events, preferring instead to send the deputy governor, Mahdi Aliyu Gusau. Matawalle left with all three Senators to the APC.

Secondus, according to a party official who pleaded anonymity should realize before it is too late that in politics, not all rumours turn out to be false. In a chat with our correspondent, the official said, “We can’t pretend anymore that all is well. Losing a governor with few years to a general election is a big deal. Losing three governors within a year is a disaster that must not be allowed to happen again. We celebrated to high heavens when three governors joined us from the APC and we have now lost three. We can’t keep a straight face and continue to blame the APC.”

On what the NWC and particularly Secondus should do to stem the tide, he continued, “A lot can be done but that has to be fast. He should convey an emergency National Executive Committee meeting to find out the challenges the governors are facing. Let them know how the NWC can assist them, particularly those rumoured as target for the ruling party. He should play real politics and assure these governors that their future is secured,” he added.

READ ALSO:2023: PDP’ll be back in Aso Rock- Secondus

Although Secondus is upbeat that Matawalle’s defection will not see the light of the day, vowing on behalf of the party to challenge same in court, speculations of yet two governors, one each from the South-East and North-East geo-political zones are already gaining currency.

Defectors are selfish, anti-people- Olafeso, Odeyemi

In a chat with our correspondent, former deputy national chairman (South-West) of the PDP, Dr. Eddy Olafeso in a chat with Vanguard labelled the defectors as turncoats awaiting the verdict of history.

He said: “There is historical antecedents for turncoats like that (defectors) and believe me, the PDP is not bothered that people who have actually benefitted extensively from the party are now deciding to jump ship. The PDP belongs to the people, the masses, not the governors. They (the governors) have secured for themselves a place in the dustbin of history as having abandoned the people in their hours of need. We are preparing for 2023 and I want to celebrate the national chairman, for his effort, for growing the numbers of governors from eleven to 17. There is nothing the party leadership can do when somebody decides not have integrity, dignity and character. We are very hopeful for 2023.”

On his part, deputy national publicity secretary of the Party, Diran Odeyemi told opur correspondent that the governors who left PDP did so for selfish reasons.

“PDP as a party tried its best to appeal to the governors not to move but it appears they have their selfish and personal reasons which are not about the masses but about themselves. They are either trying to evade the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC or they are trying to advance their political careers. There is nothing attractive in APC to make anyone makes the decision to join them. For the mere fact that APC has not been able to organize their congress from ward to national level will make some of their aggrieved governors to join the PDP. APC don’t forget, is a conglomeration of many parties put together. By the time President Buhari finishes his second term, the party will go into trenches and it will be to your tenth O’ Israel. That is when APC is going to lose it. We want to tell them that poaching governors to their camp does not translate to achievements,” Diran stated.

This is certainly a tough time for Secondus and how he stirs the leadership of the party will determine the fate of the PDP in 2023.

Vanguard News Nigeria