ABUJA – Defections from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) are primarily motivated by personal interests rather than ideological or party-based reasons, according to the PDP National Organizing Secretary, Alhaji Umar Bature.
Speaking to Vanguard in Abuja on Monday, Bature dismissed claims that internal party issues were behind the defections, emphasizing that the moves were driven by individual
He was reacting to reports that the APC is luring members of the opposition with promises of automatic tickets in the 2027 elections and lucrative contracts.
Bature stated, “Nobody is leaving the party because of internal party issues; it’s purely personal interests.
“They believe that after the Edo election, anything can happen. If they’re in the APC, they think the government will perform some ‘magic’ to ensure they win the election. That’s all.”
Bature revealed that defectors, particularly members of the National Assembly, could face severe legal consequences for their actions.
He explained that all lawmakers had sworn affidavits to the PDP before contesting elections, and the party plans to challenge their defections in federal high courts.
Bature warned, “They will hear from us, and from the courts. I can assure you they won’t escape accountability because they all swore affidavits to the party before contesting.
“If they defect, they’ll lose their seats. We don’t need to go to the assembly. We’ll trigger the process at the federal high courts.”
The PDP official also addressed internal party dynamics, particularly the ongoing debate over zoning. He acknowledged that while some members advocate for power to be zoned to the south, northern interests are pushing for the north.
This controversy, he noted, reflects broader challenges within the party but has not disrupted its overall stability.
“To be honest with you, the PDP has no real issues. They’re just using the media to exaggerate things. There’s no issue in the PDP.
“We’ve successfully conducted congresses in about 32 states. The only problems we faced were in two or three states. So, if you have 29 states without issues and three with problems, I’d say that’s a reasonable outcome,” Bature said.
He also highlighted the role of coalitions in Nigerian politics, noting that governors from both the north and south have formed alliances to advance their interests.
“Our governors have their own coalitions in the north and in the south. So, it’s all about coalitions—that’s the main point,” he added.
Bature further revealed that the PDP has compiled a list of all defectors and plans to initiate legal proceedings against them soon.
“We’ve compiled a list of all those who have defected, and you’ll hear about the cases soon likely by the next week,” he said.
VANGUARD.
