The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reaffirmed its resilience despite recent defections and internal disputes, stressing that its political strength is rooted in the people rather than in the number of governors under its platform.
Speaking on Prime Time, a programme on Arise Television monitored on Tuesday, the PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, dismissed suggestions that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was suffocating the party.
According to him, the APC’s policies have instead worsened the suffering of Nigerians, adding that the growing hardship and insecurity across the country would ultimately shape the 2027 general elections.
“When a governor defects, it’s a concern, but the strength of the PDP is not in governors — it’s in the people,” Ologunagba said. “If the PDP is dead, why is everyone so interested in it?”
He described the recent defection of Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, to the APC as one driven by “inducement, intimidation, and coercion,” rather than genuine ideological differences.
“People are no longer defecting because of policy or programmes,” he said. “They are being coerced, intimidated, or induced. What is happening is a calculated attempt by the APC to destabilise the opposition through fear and manipulation.”
The PDP spokesman maintained that despite ongoing realignments, the party remained focused on reconnecting with Nigerians at the grassroots level. He noted that the PDP’s legacy of governance, compared to the current state of insecurity and economic decline, would become a defining issue in the 2027 elections.
Political analysts have described the wave of defections as part of the country’s recurring pre-election power shifts, with several state governors and legislators switching parties in anticipation of the next political cycle.
However, Ologunagba said the PDP was not intimidated. “The party has survived tougher storms. What we are seeing today is temporary. Nigerians know which party truly represents their interest,” he added.
