BREAKING: 3 Kebbi PDP Senators Defect to APC After Meeting Tinubu, Deepening Crisis in Opposition Party

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is grappling with intensified challenges as three of its lawmakers in Kebbi State on Friday declared their defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC), further destabilising the party’s efforts to reclaim its footing.

The development emerged a few hours before an extraordinary meeting of PDP Governors in conjunction with all former governors of the party who are still members scheduled for Saturday, ahead of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting that had been fixed for May 27, 2025.

The decisive parley was aimed at steering the party away from its ongoing internal crises, which has seen floodgates of defections. The meeting is to be held at the Bauchi State Governor’s lodge.

The three serving senators from Kebbi State elected on the platform of the main opposition party declared their intention to join the APC after a meeting with President Bola  Tinubu at the State House in Abuja.

The lawmakers — Senator Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central), Senator Yahaya Abubakar Abdullahi (Kebbi North), and Senator Garba Maidoki (Kebbi South) — were led to the meeting with Tinubu on Friday by the National Chairman of the APC, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje.

The defection was seen as a major political development in Kebbi State, and it came amid ongoing realignments within the national political landscape. Also present at the meeting were the Kebbi State Governor, Dr. Nasir Idris; Sokoto State Governor, Ahmad Aliyu; and the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Atiku Bagudu.

The defection of the three Senators is expected to bolster the APC’s influence in Kebbi State and the National Assembly ahead of 2027 general elections.

The PDP recently lost its entire structure, including the governor and House of Assembly members in Delta State to the APC, with predictions that more of its members would defect.

The extraordinary meeting of PDP Governors’ Forum scheduled for Saturday, is the first of its kind, as the meeting is usually exclusive to current Governors.

The meeting, it was gathered, is to garner wider support for the coming national convention of the party.

Also, the Governors want to use the meeting to push through their recommendations for the zoning of national offices of the party.

Though within the PDP Governors’ Forum, there seems to be a split as some governors, led by Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, were allegedly strategising to ensure that the office of the National Chairman of the PDP remains in the north. In fact, a reliable source that spoke with THISDAY on conditions of anonymity, believes that the presidential candidate of the PDP must come from the south and those in his camp are pushing that Damagum be made the substantive National Chairman.

The argument was that since Damagum, who was considered a greenhorn in 2023, has been able to manage the party for over two years, it would not be fair to bring in a new person who would be an on-the-job learner in the office of the national chairman.

According to the source, with a northern chairman, it would give the PDP an opportunity to field a southern presidential candidate, which is in the mood of the nation currently.

THISDAY learnt that if this move goes through, it would completely put off the presidential ambition of Atiku Abubakar as both the former vice president and Damagum are from the north-east zone.

Atiku, who has contested the presidential election as candidate of the PDP in 2019 and 2023, is from Adamawa and Damagum is from Yobe.

But, it is not known if this permutation would be acceptable to the Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed, because of his perceived presidential ambition.

However, it was learnt that Atiku and his group are not folding their arms. According to insiders within the PDP, Atiku who had vowed not to leave the PDP, has a joker up his sleeve.

A reliable source told THISDAY that Atiku and his group are plotting to sack the Damagum-led NWC of the party for leadership failure when they meet on May 27th.

In view of this, Atiku, it was alleged, was mobilising members of the NEC of the party to pass a vote of no confidence on the entire NWC of the party.

The vote of no confidence on the Damagum-led NWC would give room for a new NWC to be saddled with the August national convention of the party, tentatively slated for August in Kano.

Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the APC, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, while commenting on the wave of defections into the ruling party, said it would be managed effortlessly through established party structures.

Speaking with newsmen on Friday, after leading the defecting Kebbi Senators to meet Tinubu at the State House, Ganduje explained that the APC’s constitution and its internal mechanisms provide clear guidance for integrating new members.

According to him: “Our constitution is very clear about this and, beyond that, our political dexterity in managing such affairs is on the table. So, I assure you that there will be a smooth integration.”

The party Chairman described the latest defection as both strategic and beneficial to the party, noting that it was the result of weeks of underground negotiations and consultations among key stakeholders in Kebbi State.

His words: “This is in continuation of the initiative of President Bola Tinubu that the APC must do what it must do democratically in order to increase our numerical strength. In this incident, not only our numerical strength, but also the quality and capacity of our followership have increased.”

According to him, Tinubu had graciously given his blessing to the senators’ decision, signaling the party’s readiness to formally welcome the new members.

“By Tuesday, you will see what will happen in the Red Chambers,” he added, hinting at an official announcement in the Senate.

He allayed fears that the mass defections could signal a drift toward a one-party state, insisting that the growing dominance of the APC is a reflection of its performance and appeal across the country.

“Leaders worried about a one-party state do not need to fear. A one-party state is not by force; it is by negotiation. It is by other political parties seeing the effect of the positive governance of our party. If they decide to come to our party willingly, I think there is nothing wrong with that,” Ganduje explained.

Citing global examples, the ruling party Chairman said, “Today China is one of the strongest countries in the world and is a one-party system. We are not saying we are working for a one-party system, but if this is the wish of Nigerians, we cannot quarrel with that.”

He also faulted Nigeria’s current political structure, arguing that a crowded political space could hinder good governance.

“You know they say too many cooks spoil the soup; too many political parties spoil governance,” he further said.

Ganduje maintained that the APC remains committed to democratic principles and inclusiveness, asserting that every new member would find a place within the party’s broad framework and leadership structure.