By
Tunde Abatan
In the last three weeks or so, many elected public office holders have jumped ship from their party to the other. This trend is prominent among People’s Democratic Party, PDP-elected officials at state and national levels.
Prominent among these are elected public office holders from the rank of incumbent state governors who led their whole state executives, elected legislative offices and state parry executives for other parties.
An example of this was two weeks defection of Governor Sheriff Francis Ovoborevwori of Delta State who in one fell swoop dumped the PDP, the party that gave him ticket and joined the ruling All Peoples Congress, APC, at the national level. His reason for this was that it was the wish of his people.
Also in his tow was his predecessor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, who known to all is currently facing alleged corruption charges before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. Like his successor, he claimed the interest of people of his state who voted for him as a running mate to former vice president Abubakar Atiku has changed.
He did not tell us if he ever consulted the people before allegedly dipping his hand into state coffers to fund Atiku’s campaign to the tune of billions of naira.
Neither has he admitted the allegation for which he is on bail by the court courtesy of EFCC.
Is he trying to save his face and join the APC and go scotch free and ‘sin no more’ as propagated by former party national chairman, Senator Adams Oshiomhole during his days as APC leader.
Is the decision of APC to encourage or attract Delta state into APC to prevent it from making available its deep financial pocket courtesy of 13% Derivation for the use of Atiku or any other person who emerged the party’s presidential bearer in 2027.
It had already partly succeeded in Rivers State-another state with huge financial qar chest. It is obvious that former Governor Similayi Fubara, may not have that opportunity to open his state finances to PDP in 2027, if he returns to power after his six months suspension.
In another breadth, the hundreds of state party exco from ward to state level in Delta State did not also explain what motivated them to follow their governor into the state opposition party but collapsed their party into APC.
In Kano State, the ruling party, the New Nigerian Peoples Party, NNPP led in the state by Governor Kabir Yusuff, now hobnobbing with the former governor Abdullahi Ganduje- led APC, the ruling party at the national level has not told millions of party followers why they are abandoning the ship of the party that gave them opportunity.
He is said to be dancing to the tune of Rabiu Kwakwanso, his godfather and founder of Kwakwansiya Movement that propelled NNPP to power in the state.
Indeed, Yusuf Ata, the Minister of State for Housing and Environment, openly disagreed with Ganduje, his party national chairman, why he is wooing and creating room for Kwankwaso to join the APC.
As for him, the Kwakwansiya movement led by the former governor, have lost the Talakawa followership in the state and only looking for safe place to bury his head and get relevance.
If kwakwanso joined the APC, is it for relevance or a feeling that the state he installed incumbent Gov Yusuff, is gradually slipping out of his control and his future political relevance threatened.
What magic has the APC done that is making him abandon his party and pitch tent with the ruling party?
Is the APC now more Talakawa in orientation than his NNPP or that is he eager for a slice of the juicy federal cake allegedly being dangled before him by President Bola Tinubu at the national level?
As for Ata, Kwakwanso now in talk with his arch- enemy, Ganduje is looking for relevance and should be left in the political wilderness which his surrogate governor Yusuff is now desperately planning to abandon.
As for Ganduje, Kwakwanso should be helped back to reckoning as a friend in need.
Ata feels otherwise.
In the opposition Labour Party, LP, except for Enugu State where three federal lawmakers have left the PDP for the LP, in Abia, the only state being controlled by the party, where Governor Alex Otti is the governor is being closely watched for hobnobbing with APC at the Federal level.
A disciplinary committee has been set up by LP to beat into line party members and elected executives found to be hobnobbing with APC or any other party.
Otti their only governor is among those being watched. If it is true Otti is contemplating joining APC is he tired of being the last man standing for the fledgling party and wanted to have a slice of the cake at the national level.
It is true that all the 36 state governors monthly allocation from the Federation account, FAAC since June 2023 has tripled.
Is it because of this or their love for President Tinubu to get more or are they being baited with other unknown incentives by the later to secure his second term in office?
Does it mean that they agree with Ganduje that one party state to which their action portend is good for Nigeria?
As for Abia State, will the ‘Obedient’ movement crazy for Igbo Presidency likely accept the bait and follow Otti?
We can pose the same question to Funke Awolowo, granddaughter of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, a Frontline Obedient who last week announced her resignation from LP as one of its national coordinators.
Has she suddenly seen what she didn’t see in APC or Tinubu in 2023 and eagerly wanted to leave the LP boat before it sank or is she being motivated by personal motives and or ambition?
The same question is being posed for Anambra State governor, Dr Charles Soludo , who has openly led his party, the APGA to endorse Tinubu for a second term foreclosing an APGA presidential candidate the way the defunct Alliance for Democracy cum Afenifere did for former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2023 -an action which led to the death of the party.
Although it is on record that Soludo did nit campaign for Obi or LP in 2023.
It will be recalled that the gamble by AD made it to lose five of its states and many federal lawmakers to the PDP.
Is the APGA embracing a better ideology for Ndigbo or like LP is tired of being the only state in power for the APGA-where all its members who lost election now feast on for spoils of office?
Or is it that Soludo is eyeing something at the Federal level after his tenure that his party because of its size cannot give him?
Is it that Obianca Ojukwu, wife of the late Ikemba of Nnewi, and Minister of State for foreign Affairs has seen something others in her party has not seen in Tinubu and APC and has carried the message to Soludo.
Or is Soludo a former CBN Governor is enamored by Tinubus economic policies which has benefited his state and therefore want Ndigbo at the mainstream of national politics?
If the three PDP Senators in Kebbi State, senators Adamu Aliero-Kebbi central, Yahaya Abubakar Abdullahi-Kebbi North and Garba Maidoki-Kebbi South, all led by Governor Mohammed Nasir to a meeting with President Tinubu last week eventually dumped the party this Tuesday as predicted by Ganduje, then the number of APC senators would have increased to 61 and move it closer to having absolute two thirds majority in the upper chamber necessary to pass motions and bills without employing lobbying tool.
It makes the job of Tinubu’s special assistant on national assembly easier.
The move may also widen the influence of APC in the North West part of the country of which Kebbi State is crucial in delivering part of its 48 million registered voters.
This is beside other senators from opposition waiting in the wings to join the ‘winning party’ as we move closer to election in 2027.
Today, the APC has 58, PDP 37, Labour and others 13 seats in the Senate.
The question still remains: Are the defecting elected officials doing so for patriotism, ideology or personal reasons for pecuniary gains?
Time will tell and expose the real motives of the growing list of defectors.
