The exodus has begun—quietly at first, like a trickle down a cracked wall. But now, with defections from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) flowing faster than a Jabi downpour in July, one begins to wonder: Who will save Nigeria’s oldest surviving opposition party?
In just a few weeks, PDP has watched its house lose bricks. There was Oluwole Oke, a six-term House of Representatives veteran from Osun State. There is Sheriff Oborevwori, Governor of Delta State, who peeled off his party colours and crossed into APC’s increasingly broad tent, all in the name of “development.” In Jigawa, 216 grassroots members, plus a smattering of community leaders, slipped away during a forum meant for citizen engagement but that doubled as a quiet coronation for APC’s growing dominance.
Some defections are still half-whispered: Akwa Ibom’s Governor Umo Eno flirts with political polygamy, speaking of a “unity party.” Enugu’s Peter Mbah and Rivers’ beleaguered Siminalayi Fubara eye the exit but hesitate, possibly waiting for the right breeze to carry them across.