The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State says Nigeria cannot become a one-party state, even with the recent gale of defections from opposition parties to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a number of governors, senators, members of the House of Representatives and state houses of assembly elected on the platform of PDP and other parties have dumped their parties for APC
NAN recalls that PDP’s Gov. Peter Mbah of Enugu State and Douye Diri of Bayelsa recently joined the growing number with federal and state lawmakers in their respective states.
The Akwa Ibom Gov. Umo Eno formally left the PDP and joined the APC in early June while Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta and his predecessor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, and many members of the PDP in Delta defected to the APC.
Reacting, the State PDP Vice Chairman (Lagos Central), Mr Hakeem Olalemi, told NAN that that party would never be broken by the wave of defections, saying PDP remained in the hearts of Nigerians.
According to him, the defectors dumped PDP for selfish reasons and that the gale will not determine the outcome of the 2027 elections.
“I can tell anyone that cares to hear that PDP will still stand strong after our convention in November.
“I am very confident that Nigerians are not ready for a one-party state because it will bring authoritarianism and dictatorship. Nigerians want a multi-party democratic system.
“The good people of Nigeria will not buy that (one party) from them. APC government has not impressed the people in the country. Nigerians will demonstrate this at that polls,” Olalemi said.
The PDP chieftain, however, said that people moving from one party to another was not a new thing.
He added: “People move from one party to another,but what are their reasons for moving from PDP to APC?
“Is it the crisis in PDP? If that is true, it means they (defectors) are not men enough to stay and fix the crisis in the interest of Nigerians, who are looking up to the opposition party for rescue.
“If there are crises in the family or home where we were born ,should we then leave for another person’s house?
“What is expected is to wait and resolve the crises. If by running away from PDP is what makes them men, we shall see what happens in 2027 ”
