The Forum of Former Speakers in the Peoples Democratic Party has encouraged Nigerians to expect the return of many politicians who left the party in recent years to join other political parties.
The forum emphasized that the PDP remains the most widely accepted, well-organized, and committed political party, focused on addressing the nation’s challenges.
This statement was made following a meeting with the PDP minority leadership in the House of Representatives at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja on Friday.
The meeting was attended by key members, including the House Minority Leader, Hon. Kingsley Chinda, Minority Whip, Hon. Ali Isa, Forum Chairman and member of the 10th House of Representatives, Hon. Inuwa Garba, Forum Secretary Hon. Williams Edor, as well as other prominent party members such as Hon. Bakitta Bello, Hon. Friday Itulah, Hon. Kwamoti Laori, and Hon. Ndanusa Hassan.
Hon. Garba, a former Speaker of the Gombe State House of Assembly, addressed the media, describing some defections to the All Progressives Congress as illegal. He assured that those who had left the PDP would soon return. He argued that many of these defections were driven by personal interests rather than the needs of the nation or the electorate.
Garba further stated that while defections cannot be entirely prevented, a large number of individuals who abandoned the PDP for personal gain would soon rejoin the party. He suggested that the Nigerian electorate is now better informed and understands what is best for the country. He added that politicians who defect for personal reasons often forget that their constituents are aware of their true intentions and will support what is best for the community.
He also pointed out that any politician with credibility today was, at one point, shaped by the PDP, which he described as the most widespread party in Africa. He criticized the current administration for undermining the nation’s political processes and reaffirmed that such actions cannot sustain the country’s future.
The forum called on all party members to remain steadfast and united in the face of the nation’s challenges. They also urged party leaders and members at all levels to trust the ongoing efforts to strengthen and unify the party.
In the past week, three PDP lawmakers, including Senator Ned Nwoko (Delta), Hon. Amos Magaji (Kaduna), and Hon. Salisu Koko (Kebbi), have defected to the ruling APC.
He said, “We believe some of these defections are illegal because they are constitutional breach. Some politicians don’t look at what affects their people or the nation. They look at what affects them personally.
“You cannot stop some people from defecting from one political party to the other. Very soon, you will see the gale of defections back to PDP because Nigerians are now better informed and knowledgeable about what is good for them and the nation.
“One person out of a thousand from a constituency may take a decision of leaving the party just to get what he wants, but the voters he abandoned in the constituency know what is good for them and what they stand for.”
“Any politician you see as good or credible today was groomed by the PDP, a party that is the most widely spread in Africa, ” he added, stressing that the government in power scuttled the political process of the nation.
“It cannot work. You can do whatever you want to do at a particular time, but you cannot do all you want to do all the time,” he stressed philosophically.
The forum urged party members to “remain steadfast and united in the face of the current daunting challenges bedevilling the nation.”
