By Abiola Olawale
Veteran journalist and a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain Dele Momodu has firmly dismissed speculations about defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC), stating he would rather retire from politics than join the ruling party.
Momodu, the Ovation Magazine publisher made the bold statement in response to ongoing political realignments in Nigeria, where several PDP members have recently crossed over to the APC.
In an interview with the press, Momodu addressed rumours about his potential defection, emphasizing his commitment to the PDP and his democratic principles.
When asked about the recent defections from the PDP, including the mass exodus in Delta State, and whether he was also contemplating joining the All Progressives Congress (APC), Momodu responded firmly, saying, “Impossible! I would rather retire. Leave me out of the APC matter.”
Momodu rejected the idea that the PDP’s troubles were any different from those faced by other political parties, pointing out the cyclical nature of Nigerian politics.
He asserted: “Everything in life has its ups and downs. But nothing is happening to the PDP that is peculiar to it. In fact, APC has more problems than PDP,” he said.
Momodu turned his attention to the APC, pointing out that the party’s own internal struggles were being overlooked by the public.
He criticised the APC for attacking its members, particularly former President Muhammadu Buhari, and suggested that their criticisms were indicative of deep-rooted issues within the party.
“They were in government, their President just left power two years ago. Yet they are abusing and attacking Buhari. If they didn’t have problems, they wouldn’t be abusing their own President,” he said.
Momodu further suggested that many APC members were still vying for positions within the government, such as ambassadorial appointments and parastatal positions, and that these incentives were keeping them loyal to the party for now.
He said, “There is food for them. That’s why it seems that everything is intact. You wait till next year when some people suddenly realize that it’s over and there is no food for them in APC. You will see how they will start moving in droves to the available parties.”
This comes after the recent defection of his 2023 Vice Presidential candidate of the PDP, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, and Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori from the PDP to the APC.
Recall that on Wednesday, Okowa, Oborevwori, and a host of other members of the PDP dumped the party for the APC.
This mass exodus, which included senior administration officials, local government chairmen, and grassroots supporters, has been described by many as a strategic move ahead of the 2027 general elections.
