Abuja, Nigeria – The recent surge in defections plaguing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been firmly linked to the party’s failure to zone its 2023 presidential ticket to the South, specifically the South-East, according to political affairs analyst Majeed Dahiru.
Dahiru characterized the decision to ignore the rotational principle as a “mortal sin” that has triggered a “deep crisis,” weakening the PDP’s national cohesion and leading to a wave of high-profile departures.
The latest blow came with the formal defection of Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, from the PDP to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Announcing his move at a press conference in Enugu on Tuesday, Governor Mbah cited a desire to advance the state’s interests and a belief that the APC platform offered greater opportunities for collaborative and transformative development.
Following closely on Mbah’s heels, three PDP lawmakers from Kaduna State—Abdulkarim Ahmed (Kaduna South), Aliyu Mustapha (Ikara/Kubau), and Sadiq Ango-Abdullahi (Sabongari)—also defected to the APC. Their resignations, read during plenary by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, cited the PDP’s “lingering internal conflicts” and a desire to align with President Bola Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope Agenda.”
‘Taking the South-East for Granted’
Speaking on ARISE News Night on Tuesday, Dahiru argued that Governor Mbah’s defection was symptomatic of deeper systemic issues within the PDP.
“Before he spoke of aligning with the centre, he made a more profound point: the South-East, and Enugu State in particular, have been loyal and consistent support bases for the PDP since 1998. Yet, their voices were ignored, and the party took the region for granted. That is the real driver of these defections,” Dahiru stated.
He maintained that while the lure of presidential access and the ruling party caucus might attract some governors, the fundamental cause of the defections lies in the PDP’s disregard for its zoning principle.
“In the lead-up to the 2022 presidential primaries, I repeatedly warned that ignoring zoning to the South would sink the party in the post-Buhari era. That warning has come true,” he lamented.
Dahiru described the ongoing internal disputes, court battles, and leadership crises within the party as the predictable symptoms of a malaise caused by the alienation of its traditional Southern support base.
“The South-East has historically been the PDP’s oxygen. When 17 Southern governors met in Asaba demanding a power shift to the South, common sense dictated the party should have presented a candidate from the South-East,” he said.
The analyst further pointed to the PDP’s missed opportunity with former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi. “Peter Obi was phenomenally popular and from the right region. He could have galvanised massive support. But the PDP lost that chance, and in doing so, they lost the South-East,” Dahiru noted.
Grassroots Betrayal
Dahiru warned of the party’s declining influence, referencing Anambra State, a former PDP stronghold, where no candidate reportedly picked up nomination forms for the last governorship primaries. He concluded that internal fractures, exacerbated by the departure of figures like Obi and the sustained actions of Nyesom Wike, who openly supported the APC president, have left the PDP weakened and in perpetual crisis.
While downplaying the ideological significance of defections between the PDP and APC, Dahiru reserved his strongest concern for defections originating from the Labour Party (LP).
“If there is any party Nigerians should be worried about losing members from, it’s the Labour Party. Unlike the PDP or APC, Labour was built on people’s power. When elected officials leave, it’s a betrayal of that movement,” he asserted.
Dahiru concluded by warning that Nigeria has missed a critical opportunity to strengthen its democracy, as politicians who rose through genuine grassroots movements are now rapidly adopting the habits of the old political elite.
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