Tension in PDP over defection

The defection of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State, Vice Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general elections, former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, to the All Progressives Congress (APC) last week may have precipitated tension in the PDP.

The tension has compelled the party leadership to summon emergency meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP to hold this week on Tuesday.

Before the defection of Okowa and Oborevwori from the PDP to the APC, Senator Ned Nwoko, representing Delta North Senatorial District in the National Assembly had earlier defected to the APC from the PDP. This defection now made Delta State to be represented in the senate by APC senators in the 3 senatorial districts.

Also, a five-time member of the House of Representatives from Osun State, Oluwole Oke, had recently dumped the PDP for the APC.

There were insinuations that more PDP governors would defect to the APC at their convenient time.

Every defection from the PDP weakens the party in so many ways and strengthens the beneficiary party on the other divide.

The defection takes away political structures, financial resources, human resources and other political values from the PDP, to the advantage of the recipient APC in the covert build up to the 2027 general elections.

PDP leaders are anticipated to deliberate on the internal crisis in the party, means to avert further defections, and seeking how to reinvent the party for populist patronage.

PDP Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, has been leading a bloc of the PDP perceived to be controlled by the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, against another bloc in coalition with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

Meanwhile, the depopulation of the PDP moves army of supporters, loyalists and well-wishers away from the party towards 2027.