PDP Pushes Ahead With National Convention As Three More Governors Set To Join APC

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has insisted that it will go ahead with its forthcoming national convention despite reports that three more of its governors are on the verge of defecting to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Findings by Daily Trust indicate that Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State will officially declare for the APC on Tuesday, while Governor Agbu Kefas of Taraba State is expected to formalize his move to the ruling party in November. Similarly, Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri is said to be making final arrangements to dump the PDP “anytime soon.”

The latest development comes months after Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State and Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State defected to the APC, bringing the number of PDP governors who have left the party to five within the year.

Convention To Hold Despite Defections

Despite the growing wave of defections, the PDP has maintained that its elective national convention, scheduled to hold in Ibadan, Oyo State, from November 15 to 16, will proceed as planned.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Monday, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde reaffirmed the party’s readiness, describing the PDP as “a moving train” that no one can stop.

“The train has moved, and whoever tries to stand in the way of a moving train is only courting disaster,” Makinde said.
“My advice is simple — no matter how highly placed or what has transpired in the past, please don’t commit political suicide by standing against progress.”

Makinde, who chairs the Transportation Committee of the Convention, said preparations were in top gear and that the PDP remains determined to rebuild and reposition itself as a viable political force.

The governor acknowledged that the party had gone through difficult times since losing power in 2015 but emphasized that the PDP had the experience, structure, and resilience to bounce back.

“We have people who have led this country before and understand governance. We went through the challenges of power loss and opposition politics, but that is not the end,” he said.
“Democracy is about conflict and resolution. The important thing is to stay focused and united, which is what we are doing in the PDP.”

He dismissed suggestions that the defections were a sign that the party’s internal structures were collapsing, stressing that “Nigeria does not need a one-party state.”

“From the last time I checked, Nigerians still prefer a multiparty democracy. They want options and new ideas, and that’s exactly what we’re offering,” Makinde said.

Governor Makinde added that the PDP would not lose sleep over the exit of governors or political figures, noting that the real power lies with ordinary Nigerians who will decide the outcome of the 2027 elections.

“The only time I’ll be worried is when hunger itself defects to the APC,” he quipped.
“When the people on the streets stop feeling hunger, poverty, and hardship, then we’ll know something has changed. Until then, the people remain the ultimate deciders of Nigeria’s future.”

He assured that the forthcoming Ibadan convention would produce credible, focused, and accountable leaders capable of steering the PDP towards regaining national relevance.

As the political realignments intensify ahead of 2027, observers say the PDP’s convention in Ibadan will serve as a major test of the party’s strength, unity, and capacity to reassert itself as a formidable opposition.