By Peter Dansu In a major political shift ahead of the upcoming local government elections in Lagos State, several high-ranking members of...
By Peter Dansu
In a major political shift ahead of the upcoming local government elections in Lagos State, several high-ranking members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have announced their defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC), blaming the PDP’s deepening internal crises and poor leadership under its current chairman, Philip Aivoji.
Leading the group is the PDP’s Lagos State Publicity Secretary, Hon. Hakeem Amode, who formally resigned alongside a number of former party candidates, executive members, and key stakeholders. The defectors pointed to the party’s failure to uphold its founding values and the growing disunity that has left the PDP in a state of disarray.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Amode did not mince words about the deteriorating state of the PDP. He described the party as directionless and disconnected from the ideals that once made it a formidable political force, both in Lagos and across Nigeria.
“The PDP, at both the national and state levels, has lost its way,” Amode declared. “The party has deviated from the founding principles that once made it Africa’s largest political platform. Today, it is plagued by uncertainty, division, and a disturbing lack of cohesion.”
Amode cited recent remarks by prominent PDP figures like former Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam and Akwa Ibom Governor Umo Eno as further confirmation of the party’s troubles. Suswam had warned that the PDP was “in a coma,” while Eno expressed doubt that the party would even be able to field candidates in the 2027 general elections due to ongoing internal conflicts and legal wrangling, particularly over the status of the party’s National Secretary.
“We are heading for a repeat of the 2019 Zamfara debacle, where internal confusion led to court disqualifications,” Amode warned.
The Lagos PDP spokesman was especially critical of the party’s state leadership under Chairman Philip Aivoji, accusing him of fostering a fractured and ineffective organization that has repeatedly failed to unite behind its own candidates.
“During the 2023 governorship election, many of us campaigned relentlessly alongside our candidate, Dr. Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran (JANDOR), even risking our lives. We were attacked in places like Surulere, Kosofe, Agege, and Badagry. Yet the state leadership did nothing to support the campaign,” Amode revealed.
He further alleged that some PDP leaders covertly urged members to vote for rival parties during the election, describing it as part of a recurring cycle of sabotage that has become all too common in the party’s electoral history.
In their defection to the APC, the group expressed renewed hope in contributing meaningfully to Lagos politics. They pledged their loyalty to the APC and reiterated their belief in JANDOR’s leadership, despite his own departure from the PDP.
“Our decision to join the APC is grounded in a desire to actually deliver democratic dividends to the people of Lagos,” Amode concluded. “We believe this move will allow us to serve our communities better and align with a leadership structure that values unity, discipline, and progress.”
The mass defection marks a significant blow to the PDP in Lagos and raises further questions about the party’s viability heading into the crucial 2025 and 2027 elections.
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