PDP Defection: After Matawalle Who’s Next?

By James Orji

When former Vice President Atiku Abubakar met yesterday with the Governor of Adamawa state Ahmadu Fintiri, the meeting was not a usual tea party affair as some would want to believe. The mission of the former number two man in the country was to persuade the governor, who has been rumoured to be planning to leave the PDP, to remain in the embattled party.

The development comes as the dusts raised by Governor Matawalle defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC on Monday, is yet to settle, even as apprehension in the PDP remains high over plans by more governors elected on its platform to jettison the party.

Governor Bello Matawalle decampment to the PDP had put an end to the protracted rumour that he was planning to dump his former party. This fear that more governors will soon follow suit, is causing a big problem for the party as its leaders are making serious efforts to stop what many has described as a tsunami that will likely hit the party soon.

Few days before Atiku met with Governor Fintiri, Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state, one of the presidential hopefuls of the APC also met with Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia state at Umuahia Government House. It was not clear whether the two governors discussed anything about defection, but Bello has recently said more PDP governors are gearing up to join the APC.

Bello said “You know, I have a committee that is called Mobilisation of Youths, Women and People Living with Disabilities. We have been mobilising them to join our party. As much as we are mobilising youths, women and people living with disabilities, we are equally mobilising members of other political parties, including governors.”

Three PDP governors had already moved to the ruling APC. Governors Dave Umahi  of Abia and Ben Ayade of Cross Rivers states dumped the party citing various reasons. While Umahi was known to have left the PDP because of his presidential ambition, Ayade said he jilted his former party to join Presidemt Muhammadu Buhari in moving the country forward, though analysts insist that the governor decided to leave the PDP after he lost control of the party to some PDP stalwarts in his state.

On his part, Governor Matawalle whose state have been under bandits attacks, some say, left the party due to the irreconcilable differences between him and some leaders of the party, including Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state, whose image looms very large in the party, and has been accused of trying  to hijack the party ahead the 2023 presidential election.

But while receiving Governor Matawalle to the party on Wednesday, President Muhammadu Buhari said the governor was attracted to the APC due to the party’s sterling performance in government.

I’m proud of your timely and wise decision to join the governing party and our doors are wide open to other politicians who believe in our vision to rebuild Nigeria.

Your voluntary decision to join our party confirms the fact that our agenda for good governance is the only reason why Nigerians are getting attracted to the APC because the other alternative didn’t work,” Buhari said.on the governors defection.

From all indications, more PDP governors are still likely to leave the party, the magazine leant from inside sources who said things are not well with the party, particularly due to the infighting among its leaders. This school of thought cited the misunderstanding between Uche Secondus, the National Chairman of the PDP and Governor Wike, two former political allies that have now turned sworn enemies over the control of the soul of the party ahead 2023 elections.

Secondus rode on the wings of Governor Wike’s support to become the chairman of the party, but their relationship has since broken down over their different choices of presidential candidate for the party for the next election. While Wike is known to be backing his counterpart in Sokoto state, Governor Aminu Tambuwal , same cannot be said of the national chairman who is believed to be rooting for Atiku.

Governor Wike, last year, during the Edo State governorship election described the Secondus-led National Working Committee, NWC  as ‘tax collector’, in what analyst said, marked the highpoint of the sour relationship between the former political allies.

The Rivers governor is also believed to be the reason why some stalwarts of the party, including governors have dumped the party for APC. Apart from trying to dominate the party, his controversial comments on the polity are believed to be pushing people away from the party, according to close watchers of events in the country.

But Wike has described defectors as politicians without shame.“People who could not win ordinary election. The party used technicality, went to court and got victory. Now, they are leaving the party. Hopeless, shameless human beings. People who have no conscience,” Wike said on Matawalle defection.

Meanwhile, the APC seems to be cashing on the storm in the PDP to fortify the party ahead the next election, which the party said it’s must win. Thus following the defection of the Zamafara helmsman, the Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker Committee has opened talks with at least three PDP governors with a view to bringing them to the party the magazine has been reliably informed.

The governors include Okezie Ikpeazu, Ifeanyi Ugwanyi and Ahmadu Fintiri of Abia, Enugu and Adamawa states, respectively. The question is: who among them will defect first?