Nigeria’s political scene took another dramatic turn this week as key PDP members defect to APC, triggering debate across the country. Veteran journalist and PDP chieftain Dele Momodu didn’t hold back in his reaction, calling the move less about ideology and more about survival.
Leading the latest PDP to APC defection wave is Delta State, where Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, his deputy Monday Onyeme, former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, and a host of commissioners and party officials dumped the PDP for the ruling All Progressives Congress.
The announcement followed a six-hour meeting at the Government House in Asaba, where Senator James Manager confirmed the decision, stating, “We cannot continue to be in a sinking boat.” Commissioner for Information Charles Aniagwu added flair to the political metaphor, describing the PDP as “palm wine whose taste has changed,” suggesting the time had come to change “the drinking party.”
But Dele Momodu, a former presidential aspirant under the PDP and an influential media personality, doesn’t see this as political progress. On Channels Television’s Politics Today, Momodu said the party defection in Nigeria is nothing new and certainly not surprising. “What would shock me is if President Tinubu truly believes people are joining the APC because they love him or think he’s doing fantastically well,” he said.
For Momodu, the Nigerian political crisis isn’t just about party shifts. It’s about fear. He argues that harassment by anti-graft agencies like the EFCC, ICPC, and Special Fraud Unit has cornered politicians into jumping ship.
“These political defections are about protection,” he explained. “Gone are the days of political martyrs like Mandela, MKO Abiola, and Awolowo. Nobody wants to go to detention anymore. Everyone wants to stay home and enjoy the money they’ve made in politics.”
Momodu didn’t just criticize the defectors. He had stern words for President Bola Tinubu as well. “Don’t turn Nigeria into a democratic dictatorship,” he warned. He believes the APC is using a “carrot and stick” method, persuading some and intimidating others. “If we can’t persuade you, we’ll force you,” Momodu said, summing up what he views as the ruling party’s real strategy.
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He accused Tinubu of abandoning the democratic ideals he once championed and warned him against trying to rig his way into a second term. “God gave you your first term,” he said. “Why do you now want to use coercion to get the second?”
The APC gains more members in this sweep, while the PDP appears to be crumbling in key states. The PDP losing members ahead of the 2027 elections in Nigeria raises questions about its ability to remain a major opposition force.
Still, Momodu remains loyal to the PDP but calls for a reality check. “People are not leaving because the APC is better. They’re leaving out of fear. That’s not loyalty. That’s self-preservation.”
As the countdown to 2027 begins, the latest political realignment in 2025 may set the tone for the campaigns to come. But Momodu is urging both the government and the public to think beyond defections and start demanding real leadership.
“Nigeria’s democracy can’t survive on fear and ambition alone,” he said. “It needs courage, conviction, and integrity, none of which you’ll find in a party switch done out of panic.”
