New Telegraph

Defections: …movements propelled by ambition, fear of anti-graft agencies –PDP chieftain

 

  • Exonerates Secondus, party leadership from movements

 

The current gale of defections sweeping across some states controlled by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been attributed to personal ambitions, fear of anti-corruption agencies and calculations of some politicians ahead of 2023.

 

A chieftain of the opposition party, who stated this  yesterday in a chat with New Telegraph, said the defections, though painful, cannot be blamed on the leadership of the party but on the nature of politics in Nigeria.

 

The party stalwart, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he had no authorisation from the party’s hierarchy, said it was wrong to hold the leadership of the party responsible for the defection of some state governors as those defecting have nothing against the party but were either pursuing their political ambition or have skeletons in their cupboards and running to take shelter in the All Progressives Congress (APC) where they believe they will be safe from prosecution.

 

“So it is not a Secondus’ problem. Of course it is under his watch that these things are happening but you can’t blame him for these defections. We know that it is not about the leadership of the PDP but about individuals who have political ambition or are running away from EFCC.

 

We know that those who want to move will move and those who don’t want to move won’t move no matter what you do,” he said.

 

He argued that given the political culture and behaviour of the average Nigerian politician, it will be futile trying to prevent them from defecting, particularly to a ruling party when they had made up their mind to jump ship.

 

On why the PDP Governors Forum appears to be doing nothing about the exit of some of their colleagues, he acknowledged that though governors have a lot of influence, when people decide to move, they cannot be stopped.

 

The party chieftain disclosed that the PDP was at the verge of reinventing itself as it plans to roll out a membership registration exercise nationwide to re-establish its national spread, numerical superiority, dominance and acceptance across Nigeria.

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