Breaking: Two PDP Governors from Northern Nigeria Set to Join APC
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is increasingly mired in turmoil, with crises escalating daily.
Recent reports from a credible source have unveiled a shocking development: two influential governors from northern states, who currently serve within the PDP, are poised to defect ahead of the pivotal 2027 election.
The party’s predicament is further reflected in the exodus of members, as disheartened individuals abandon ship for the All Progressives Congress, African Democratic Congress, and Labour Party. This mass departure stems from deep-seated, unresolvable issues that have left the opposition party floundering and its leadership in disarray.
As if the situation could not become any more dire, a federal high court in Abuja has delivered a substantial blow by halting the PDP’s much-anticipated national convention, originally scheduled for November 15 and 16 in the vibrant city of Ibadan, Oyo State. This legal setback has only deepened the party’s woes, casting a shadow over its future.
In a judgment delivered on Friday, James Omotosho, presiding judge, held that by failing to conduct valid state congresses before moving to hold a national congress, the party breached provisions of the 1999 constitution, guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as well as its own constitution.
A source, who requested anonymity, disclosed that two Northern governors have decided to defect shortly after the Bayelsa state governors were reportedly set to join the APC on Monday.
Douye Diri, governor of Bayelsa, will officially join the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday, TheCable understands.
Sources informed TheCable that President Bola Tinubu, APC governors, and members of the party’s national working committee (NWC) will receive Diri into the ruling party.
Sources familiar with the backroom manoeuvring said Diri, who resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on October 15, has been engaged in discreet negotiations with APC figures to finalise his defection plan.
A party source said the delay in Diri’s formal defection was to ensure the “seamless integration of the PDP bloc into the APC’s Bayelsa structure” and to “prevent internal friction” ahead of the 2027 elections.
The defection is one of the most significant political realignments in the south-south since 2023, signalling APC’s renewed push to expand its base in the oil-rich zone hitherto dominated by the PDP.
In recent months, the PDP has been hit by a wave of high-profile defections, including several lawmakers in the national assembly, weakening its influence.
The exodus has not been limited to the national assembly. This year alone, the PDP has lost at least four sitting governors — Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), Peter Mbah (Enugu) and Diri (Bayelsa).
The gale of departures has cut the party’s governorship count to eight, amid growing speculation that Agbu Kefas, governor of Taraba, will be the next to cross over to the APC.