By Ayomide Otitoju
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Tuesday criticised the recent wave of defections from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying “shirt-swapping” by politicians does little to address Nigeria’s pressing issues.
Speaking during a media chat in Ibadan, Makinde, a PDP chieftain, expressed concern over the potential consequences of party-hopping, particularly on young Nigerians.
“We need to start talking about the survival of democracy in Nigeria. Individual ambition is tertiary, not even secondary. Everybody should keep talking, even people within the APC who are not happy,” he said.
Makinde warned that the country risks unrest if leadership failures continue. “We run the risk of an Arab Spring. You have people without leadership. A shoemaker will be made a leader for them, and they will show us—people should write it down—what Nigerians will show politicians and elites in 2027,” he added.
The governor also questioned the priorities of politicians focusing on defections while issues such as hunger and public anger persist. “When they say governors have defected and all of that, what of hunger? Where is hunger and anger in the land? Has it defected?” he asked.
Despite the defections, Makinde reaffirmed his commitment to the PDP and the survival of democracy, cautioning against a slide toward a one-party state. He also acknowledged that his former ally, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, is within his rights to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.
“Some of us who want democracy to survive in Nigeria don’t drift into a one-party state, and we want to ensure that PDP survives; he should also allow us to do our own thing,” Makinde said.
In response, the APC maintained that democracy is thriving and attributed the political switches to the opposition’s internal challenges. President Tinubu, speaking in June during the 2025 Democracy Day celebration, urged parties facing defections to examine their internal affairs rather than blame external factors. “Political parties fearful of members leaving may be better served by examining their internal processes rather than fearfully conjuring up demons that do not exist,” he said.
The governor’s remarks come amid a period of significant political realignment, with several governors, lawmakers, and top officials leaving the PDP for the APC less than two years before the 2027 elections.
