There is palpable anxiety in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over plans by five of its governors to defect in the coming days.
It was gathered that the governors include two second term governors and others, who are in their first time.
In the aftermath of the 2023 general elections, the PDP controlled 13 states, including Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Enugu, Osun and Oyo states.
Other states where the opposition party produced governors are Bauchi, Adamawa, Taraba, Zamfara and Plateau. However, the PDP lost Edo State in the last off-season governorship election to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Recently, Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevberi and his Akwa Ibom counterpart, Umo Eno defected to the APC, alongside members of their Houses of Assembly, and other party bigwigs, leaving the opposition party with only 10 states.The ruling party is intensifying efforts to get five of the remaining PDP governors to dump the opposition party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
A member of the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) confirmed to Daily Sun that the APC is working assiduously to win over some of PDP governors, especially those from the South. This is said to be a part of President Bola Tinubu’s strategy for the next general elections.The NWC member, who pleaded anonymity, because of the sensitive nature of the issue, said APC is interested in controlling all the Southern states to bolster President Tinubu second chances.
Nonetheless, Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed, has insisted that defections and unending crisis plaguing the PDP was being orchestrated from outside.
The Bauchi, who spoke at a meeting of the PDP NEC, on Monday, said: “We have been engrossed in controversies and challenges, not created by us, but created for us, and we have been navigating, unlike the other parties, irrespective of the manifestations and the perceptions there.
“The news of people leaving the party are all cosmetic. They are all created to diminish us.”
Meanwhile, the PDP National Executive Committee (NEC), yesterday, affirmed the return of Senator Samuel Anyanwu as national secretary.
The PDP Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, who briefed journalists on the outcome of 100th NEC meeting, said the party organ would meet again on July 23 to deliberate on issues relating to the national convention.
“We have all combined in one, we were all together, and we all agreed that Senator Anyanwu will continue to act as National Secretary. And also to bring the issue of the convention—to bring it up in the next NEC, which is slated for the 23rd of next month.”
He cautioned members of the party to stop demarketing it, noting that “enough is enough.”
The BoT, Senator Adolphus Wabara, thanked members of the NWC for agreeing to work together in the interest of the party. He urged the party leaders not to all ow any crack again.
Source: Daily Sun
