• Assures on readiness for National Convention
• Northern support group endorses Jonathan for Presidency
Two Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers in the Ondo State House of Assembly, yesterday, defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC). With the defection, APC now has total control of the 26-member Assembly, without opposition.
Amid recent defections of its key figures to APC, the opposition PDP has accused the ruling party of orchestrating the exodus through intimidation, coercion and blackmail.
Even with the defections from its fold, the PDP Northern Support Group, a coalition of loyalists and affiliate organisations within the opposition party, has endorsed former President Goodluck Jonathan to contest the 2027 presidential election.
The two Ondo lawmakers are Raymond Daudu (Akomo South-West Constituency I) and Olajide Oguntodu (Akure South Constituency I). Their defection letters were read by the Speaker, Olamide Oladiji.
Daudu told newsmen that his defection was premised on the irreconcilable crises and divisions in the PDP at the national and state levels. He added that the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu must be supported for the desired transformation of the country.
Similarly, Oguntodu said the persistent crises in the then PDP would not help his political journey; hence, the need to join a more viable political party.
Earlier at plenary, the Speaker, who welcomed the lawmakers to APC, said the performance of the Tinubu-led administration collapsed the stronghold and structure of PDP in the state.
THE PDP, however, insists it remains undeterred as it intensifies preparations for its highly anticipated National Convention slated for November 15 and 16 in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Briefing journalists at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, yesterday, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, described the defections as politically-engineered distractions to weaken the party ahead of the 2027 general elections. He reaffirmed the party’s resolve to stay focused on strengthening internal democracy and preparing for its national convention.
“The fact that stories of defections are gaining traction shows we are the party to watch,” Ologunagba said in response to concerns about governors leaving the party. He maintained that the PDP, as the “only truly democratic party in Nigeria”, is rooted in the will of the people and remains an institution built on enduring ideals, not personalities. He condemned the APC’s alleged role in luring PDP members away, invoking a biblical metaphor: “The Egyptians you see today, you shall see no more.
The APC, orchestrating all of this, will be gone by 2027.” Speaking at the subcommittee meeting, Chairperson of the PDP Convention’s Entertainment and Welfare Committee, Sen Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, underscored the committee’s commitment to delivering an inclusive, vibrant and culturally rich convention experience.
THE PDP support group’s decision to back Jonathan was part of key resolutions reached at the group’s 8th meeting in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State, between October 8 and 9, 2025. The meeting drew participants from all 19 northern states to deliberate on the state of the PDP and strategies to reposition it ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting signed by the Northern Coordinator, Yusuf Abubakar, and the North-West Zonal Secretary, Adamu Narayi, the group described Jonathan as a symbol of peace, unity and progress, lauding his maturity and sacrifice in safeguarding Nigeria’s democracy. The coalition also dismissed lingering debates over his eligibility to contest again, asserting that the matter had long been settled.
