Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has dismissed the wave of defections from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as mere distractions.
Instead, he urged his fellow politicians to prioritize the “defection” of hunger and poverty from their daily lives, emphasizing that true change hinges on alleviating economic hardships rather than partisan switches.
Makinde’s remarks, delivered through his bi-monthly newsletter released on Thursday, come amid a flurry of high-profile exits that have rocked the PDP.
Recall that Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State and Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa recently dumped the PDP.
The governor, however, said he remained unfazed, adding that the PDP will not “lose sleep” over these moves because “the ultimate decider here will be the Nigerian people.”
“I am sure many of you have been following the recent defections of politicians, especially the governors who have left the PDP for the APC and other parties,” Makinde wrote.
“With these defections, political pundits have been busy reading meanings into every handshake and silence. I have watched as our national conversation once again turns to who is moving rather than what is moving.”
He said the only defection that truly matters is that of hunger, stressing that Nigerians are struggling to meet basic needs while political realignments continue to attract attention.
“When I was asked about this wave of cross-carpeting in a recent press conference, I said I would only be moved when hunger defects into the APC. I meant every word of it.
“Families are being forced to make impossible choices daily. These are the real issues, not political realignments.
“No matter what the analysts predict, it is the Nigerian people who will decide the 2027 elections. Our job in the PDP is to prove we can deliver relief where others have brought pain.
“Nigerians remember when salaries had value, when businesses could plan, and when hope was not an illusion. Our task now is to rebuild that trust and restore the PDP as a platform that prioritises people over politics,” he added.
