The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Youth Group spokesperson, Dare Glintstone Akinniyi, has described Shehu Sani and the federal lawmakers who recently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as “IDPs – internally displaced politicians.”
In an exclusive interview with TimesNow.com.ng on Sunday, February 16, Akinniyi, said the defectors are politicians seeking political survival rather than the interests of the people.
He told TimesNow.com.ng that:
TimesNow.com.ng reported that Shehu Sani, a former senator representing Kaduna Central senatorial district, left the PDP and re-joined the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna state welcomed Senator Sani and other prominent politicians to the APC on Saturday, February 15.
In the same vein, three House of Assembly members elected on the platform of the PDP in Kaduna state, defected along with their supporters to the APC.
Their defection came just two days after Garba Koko, a lawmaker representing the people of Besse/Maiyama Yema federal constituency in Kebbi state and Amos Magaji, the lawmaker representing Zangon Kataf/Jaba Federal Constituency at the National Assembly, defected to the APC.
Speaking with TimesNow.com.ng on Sunday, Dare Akinniyi maintained that the PDP will witness more defections in 2026, ahead of the 2027 general election.
According to him, some of the politicians will move to parties until their interests are sorted, adding that “Shehu Sani and other defectors are not a loss to the PDP, rather “the PDP lost a blogger”.
Buttressing his point, Akinniyi downplayed the significance of these defections, and emphasised that those leaving the PDP were not core party stakeholders.
He argued that these politicians are merely seeking personal benefits and will likely return to the PDP ahead of the 2027 elections.
According to him, the PDP is shedding politicians with “political baggage” while strengthening its structure as the main opposition party in Nigeria.
Akinniyi opined thus:
As the PDP battles with the wave of defections in recent days amid its internal crisis, Akinniyi urged opposition parties and key candidates like former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party’s Peter Obi, to unite and form a strong alliance, to dislodge the APC in 2027.
The PDP chieftain, in an interview with TimesNow.com.ng, asserted that the APC would face an internal crisis before the 2027 elections, which could severely weaken its influence as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu seeks re-election into office.
Akinniyi said:
Similarly, TimesNow.com.ng reported that Dare Glintstone Akinniyi, spokesperson for the PDP National Youth Group, expressed concern over the latest defection of five lawmakers in the National Assembly.
In an exclusive interview with TimesNow.com.ng, Akinniyi suggested that the lawmakers should be punished for their decision and their seats in the House of Representatives should be declared vacant.
Four Labour Party lawmakers and PDP chieftain Hon. Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu, the daughter of the former governor of Delta state James Ibori, were the lawmakers that defected to the APC.
