With the 2023 general elections fast approaching, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are being ravaged by a wave of defections as chieftains of the two frontline parties seek new platforms to actualize their political aspirations, reports Assistant Editor, ‘Dare Odufowokan.

Ahead of the 2023 general elections, the political scene is witnessing a gale of defections as many politicians struggle to stay afloat following the numerous upsets that occurred during the primary elections held by political parties across the country to nominate candidates for the forthcoming general elections. Determined to outdo one another in the intricate game of politics, politicians are defecting from one political party to the other as part of the unending intrigues that now characterize the races to 2023.

The stage was set for the new wave of cross-carpeting when former governor of Kano state, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso, in a surprise move, dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and pitched his tent with little known New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP). Many were taken aback by the move. But hardly had Kwankwaso landed in his new party before the NNPP became a Mecca of some sort for politicians seeking platforms to actualize their aspirations, alongside with their supporters.

Soon, another former Governor of Kano State, Senator Ibrahim Shekarau officially joined Kwankwaso in NNPP from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). This was shortly after AbdulMumin Jibrin, another staunch APC chieftain, joined the new party. To cap it all, Kano State Commissioner of Finance and Economic Development, Shehu Na’allah, defected from the APC to the NNPP. He was immediately selected as the consensus candidate for Kura/Madobi/Garun Mallam Federal Constituency.

A massive defection followed in the Kano State House of Assembly as eleven members of the PDP dumped the party for the NNPP and the APC. Ten out of the defectors joined the NNPP while the member representing Kano Municipal, Salisu Maje Ahmed Gwangwazo, defected to the ruling APC. According to letters addressed to the Speaker Kano State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Engineer Hamisu Ibrahim Chidari, the defectors said their decision to leave the PDP was due to division in the leadership of the party both at state and national levels.

From Kano, the wind of defection blew towards many other parts of the country especially after the primary elections of the political parties. Several notable chieftains of the two leading political parties are changing bases and seeking new political platforms to actualize their aspirations ahead of the 2023 general elections. While many of them are leaving their parties after losing out in the struggle for nominations, others are citing other reasons for dumping their former parties and pitching their tents with new ones.

Obi

Former governor of Anambra state, Peter Obi, is one of the politicians on the move. He dumped the opposition PDP when he announced his resignation in a letter addressed to the National Chairman of the party. The letter said: “I am writing to intimate you of my resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which was conveyed to the Chairman of Agulu Ward 2. Anaocha LGA, Anambra, effective Friday 20 May, 2022. Consequently, am by this letter informing you of my withdrawal for the PDP Presidential Primaries.

“It has been a great honour to contribute to nation-building efforts through our party. Unfortunately, recent developments within our party make it practically impossible to continue participating and making such constructive contributions. I wish to thank you personally for your graciousness and leadership. I wish you well and best of luck in the service of country.” A few days after he quit the PDP, Obi, joined the Labour Party. He announced his decision to join the Labour Party Friday evening on his official Twitter account.

“…I have chosen a route that I consider to be in line with our aspirations and my mantra of taking the country from consumption to production; and that is the Labour Party which is synonymous with the people, workers, development, production, securing and uniting Nigerians as one family. I invite all Nigerians to join me in taking back our country. Be assured that I’ll never let you down,” he wrote. I thank all Nigerians, especially our youths who have joined me in the mission of taking back and reuniting Nigeria,” he said.

Before he left the PDP, Obi was one of the 15 presidential aspirants cleared by the PDP to vie for its presidential ticket. But as we speak, Obi has been elected unopposed as the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) for 2023 general elections. Obi emerged winner after all other aspirants stepped down for him and in the interest of the party in a presidential primary elections held on Monday in Asaba, Delta state.

Adelabu

Also, Adebayo Adelabu, a governorship hopeful in Oyo state, announced the resignation of his membership of the APC. The former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) lost the APC governorship primary, held last Friday, to Teslim Folarin, senator representing Oyo central, by more than 600 votes. At the rescheduled party primary held at the Obafemi Awolowo stadium, Folarin polled 954 votes to beat Adelabu, who scored 327 votes.

While announcing the result of the primary, Tokunbo Afikuyomi, who supervised the election, said Akeem Agbaje secured 15 votes while another hopeful, Hakeem Alao, got six votes. However, Adelabu’s loyalists had alleged that the delegates’ list was doctored. Speaking on Sunday during an emergency meeting with his supporters at his campaign office in Ibadan, the Oyo capital, the governorship hopeful said APC in the state has been hijacked by “outsiders”.

He, however, said he would still contest the governorship election. According to him, he is still “consulting with his followers from the 33 LGAs of the state.” After days of consultations with stakeholders in the progressive fold and political groupings across the state, Adelabu joined the Accord Party. Announcing his new party in a statement personally signed by him and made available to newsmen on Thursday, Adelabu, who came second in the 2019 gubernatorial election in Oyo State with 357,982 votes under the APC, described Accord as the party on whose platform his “gubernatorial ambition shall be pursued to actualisation by the guidance and grace of the Almighty Allah.”

“A time exists in the life of a sincere aspiring man of the public when events and circumstances lesson the operation of his mind onto new decision, new desire and new determination. Such time now finds expression in my political career which necessities vital change, fundamental decisions and refreshing determination. It is therefore on this basis that I hereby declare the withdrawal of my membership from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to Accord Party of Nigeria,” he said.

Abaribe

Senate Minority Leader and PDP governorship aspirant in Abia State, Enyinnaya Abaribe, also left the party and resigned as the Minority Leader in the upper chamber of the National Assembly. Abaribe, who was one of the top contenders for the party’s governorship ticket in Abia State, pulled out of the primary about 78 hours before the contest. He confirmed his exit from the PDP and as a minority leader in both the party and the Senate in separate letters to the ward chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in the Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State and the President of the Senate in the National Assembly.

Abaribe cited reasons of illegality, impunity and hesitations in decision-making for his decision to dump the party. A letter addressed to the party’s ward Chairman, titled “Resignation of my membership from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,” read in part, “I write to inform you of my decision to resign as a member of (the) Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). This development is consequent upon the shameful display of illegality, impunity and undemocratic decision of the party and after due consultations with my constituents.”

On his resignation as a member of the party in the upper chamber of the national assembly and the minority leader in the senate addressed to the President of the Senate, Senator Lawan Ahmed, the letter titled, “Notification of Resignation from the Membership of the Peoples Democratic Party in the Senate,” read in part, “This is to notify you and my dear colleagues in the Senate that I have formally resigned my membership of the Peoples Democratic Party through my ward. This also means my resignation as Minority Leader of the Senate.”

“I wish to thank you and my dear colleagues in the Leadership of the Senate for the warm camaraderie we enjoyed while I was Minority Leader.” Abaribe has now won the senatorial ticket of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, (APGA), for Abia South senatorial district, in furtherance of his 2023 political aspiration after he jettisoned his desire to govern Abia state. He was elected APGA senatorial flag bearer unopposed, by a mamoth crowd of delegates at the Azikiwe Road Aba. With his emergence as APGA flag bearer, the third-term Senator will be clashing with Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu, who holds the PDP ticket; and Hon. Blessing Nwagba of the APC in the 2023 senatorial poll.

Alimikhena

In Edo state, the Senator representing Edo North in the National Assembly, Francis Alimikhena has dumped the APC. In a letter dated May 27 and sent to the APC National Chairman, the Senator cited “injustice” as a reason for his withdrawal. “I write to notify you that I have withdrawn from the Primary election as a result of injustice and also withdraw my membership from the party,” the Senator said, according to Channels Television.

His aide announced he is still in the race and will seek re-election on the platform of a party to be unveiled soon. Sources close to him also told The Nation that the senator is currently considering many options available to him. “There are many political parties ready to offer him their platforms. He will announce one soon,” our source said.

Balogun

Incumbent Senator representing Oyo South, Senator Kola Balogun, has similarly resigned his membership of the PDP. In a statement signed by his media aide, Dapo Falade, in Ibadan, Balogun announced his defection to the APC. The Senator, a younger brother of the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Lekan Balogun, is the vice-chairman, Senate Committee on Sports and Youth Development.

He dumped the PDP after it became obvious he would be denied a return ticket. The ticket had been handed to Chief Joseph Tegbe, who recently defected to the PDP from the APC). Balogun’s resignation was contained in a letter dated April 28 and addressed to the chairman of the party in Ward 12, Ibadan North-East Local Government. He said the letter was received and acknowledged by the PDP Ward Chairman, Tijani Wasiu, on April 29. Balogun was the only PDP senator from the state in the ninth Senate until his resignation.

But Senator Balogun failed to pick the ticket of the party at the primary election as Sharafadeen Alli, a former Secretary to the Oyo State Government, emerged as the senatorial candidate of the APC in Oyo South. Alli emerged as the winner of the rerun primaries of Oyo South held at Le Chatteau Events Centre in Ibadan. He polled a total of 185 votes to defeat his closest rival Kolapo Kola-Daisi, who polled 145 votes. Balogun polled 84 votes, while Abimbola Adekanmbi, a former Commissioner for Finance under late Governor Abiola Ajimobi, polled 72 votes.

Tegbe

Mogaji Joseph Tegbe, a chieftain of the APC, has also pitched his tent with the PDP in Oyo state. He decamped upon a promise to be given a senatorial ticket by the ruling party. The deal was sealed after months of intense pressure and negotiations between him and Governor Seyi Makinde. Tegbe subsequently emerged the flag-bearer of the PDP for Oyo South Senatorial District.

“Though I was a frontrunner in the 2018 campaign, I agreed to step down as a team player and continued to make my contribution to the party. Unfortunately, the recent developments in Oyo APC have become worrisome. We watched a minority hijack the party structure, backed by some powers at the top.

“We saw congress results, democratically agreed at Ward and Local Government levels being altered to favour this minority group. Efforts to make the national leadership of the party see reasons have yielded no fruits. A house divided against itself cannot stand. After careful consideration and deliberation with my support groups, I have resigned my membership of the APC. Thank you for your understanding,” he explained.

He was declared winner by the Chief Returning Officer of the Oyo South PDP Electoral Committee, Hajia Fatima Saleh having polled 296 out of the total vote of 297. In his acceptance speech, Chief Tegbe, expressed gratitude to party leaders, members and delegates across the nine local government areas of the district.

Adekilekun

In a queer move, an APC chieftain and aspirant for the seat of Ede North/Ede South/Egbedore/Ejigbo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives in Osun State, Muslihudeen Adekilekun, at the weekend, joined the NNPP. Citing imposition of candidate for his decision to dump APC, Adekilekun said he had been contributing to the growth of the ruling party in Osun since 2011, yet its leaders often impose candidates during the party’s primaries, thereby sacrificing loyalty and dedication.

“APC, particularly in Edeland, operates like a cult. It has become a party that encourages bribery over loyalty; prefers godfatherism to popularity/acceptability, honours and lords newcomers over faithful members and goes for manipulation instead of integrity. The party, over the years, has always welcomed and positioned people of questionable character, whose traits are contrary to her principles of equity and fairness,” he said.

Source: The Nation