• Dino Melaye dumps party; Ogun stalwarts Ogundele, Akinlade, others cross to APC
• Nafiu Bala declares self ADC interim chairman, alleges leadership ‘takeover’
• Bashir el-Rufai says Obi, not Atiku, poses stronger threat to Tinubu in 2027
• PDP’s ex-legal adviser faults ADC’s spokesperson over remarks on Peter Obi

Nigeria’s political landscape, yesterday, continued to convulse with strategic defections, party rifts, and shifting allegiances as the race towards the 2027 general elections gathers momentum.

Former Kogi West Senator, Dino Melaye, has officially resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), citing the party’s failure to offer credible leadership and effective governance to Nigerians.

In a resignation letter dated July 4, 2025, and addressed to the PDP Chairman of Ward 1 in Aiyetoro Gbede, Ijumu Local Council of Kogi State, Melaye announced his immediate disengagement from all party-related activities.

Similarly, former Chairman of the PDP in Ogun State, Sikirulai Ogundele, and the party’s 2023 deputy governorship candidate, Adekunle Akinlade, have also dumped the party for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

Also defecting were the member representing Abeokuta South State Constituency 1, Luqmon Atobatele; a former member of the House of Assembly, Idowu Olowofuja; a former Chairman of the Ogun State Local Government Service Commission, Rotimi Rahaman; Dr. Mojeed Ekelojumati; and thousands of their supporters who previously aligned with the PDP.

Melaye’s letter was shared publicly via his official X account on Thursday. “I hereby tender my resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party at all levels of involvement,” Melaye stated, signalling a decisive break from the party he once represented.

“This decision has become imperative due to the lack of potency and capacity by the party to deliver the Nigerian people from the prevailing political cankerworms that have eaten deeply into the fabric of our dear nation,” the letter partly read.

Melaye, who once served as the PDP’s candidate in the 2023 Kogi State governorship election, said his decision followed deep reflection on the party’s current state and trajectory.

“Having carefully reflected on the state of the party, I can no longer, in good conscience, participate in the activities of the party or lend my support to its agenda,” the letter continued. He further requested that his resignation be treated as a formal and total withdrawal from all party levels and structures.

In his closing remarks, Melaye expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve under the party’s platform during his time as a member. Governor Dapo Abiodun, while receiving the former Ogun PDP defectors, congratulated them for leaving what he described as “an empty shell and sinking ship” to join the APC.

Abiodun assured them of full integration into the party, promising they would enjoy the same rights, privileges, and respect as existing members. He expressed delight at the ongoing wave of defections from the PDP to the APC nationwide and urged party members across the 236 wards and at the state level to welcome and cooperate with the new entrants.

“I want to assure you that we will accord you the rights, privileges, and respect that you truly deserve,” he said. “Today, our brothers have come back home, and we are happy and rejoicing. We are pleased to receive them back into the fold.

“The chairman of the party, a former House of Representatives member, a former governorship candidate who came second in an election I contested, a former deputy governorship candidate, a serving member of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Deputy Minority Leader, a former council chairman, former commissioner, former ALGON chairman—the list is endless. We are all here today, happily receiving them.

“Akinlade said something important: they didn’t just come here to declare today; they have gone to their various wards and declared at their respective wards—they joined from the bottom up, not from the top down, because they are seasoned politicians.” In his remarks, Akinlade said he and his team decamped to the APC to contribute meaningfully to the development of the state and the country at large.

The former Allied People’s Movement (APM) governorship candidate in 2019 called on other opposition members to join the APC and thanked Governor Abiodun for accepting them into the ruling party.

“All I can say is to thank our leader, our amiable governor. What I’ve seen in the past few months is the dignity with which he received us. It takes only great men to be gracious in victory.

“Today, we are not just decamping; this is a movement. We have moved en masse back home—we left no one behind—because we believe in the leadership of our governor and the leadership of our party at both state and national levels.

“We are here to support you, Your Excellency. We are here to support the party. We are here to commit our loyalty to you and the APC.” On his part, Ogundele said their defection would bring positive results for the APC in Ogun State. He noted that the decision was based on the visible achievements of Abiodun in the state and those of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the national level.

“We, the responsible members of the Peoples Democratic Party and the Allied People’s Movement, are progressively moving en masse into the All Progressives Congress.

“What we are doing here today is historic. I want to re-echo it: the most responsible PDP members from all 236 wards in Ogun State have moved en masse.”

Nafiu Bala declares self ADC interim chairman
MEANWHILE, the Deputy National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Nafiu Bala Gombe, yesterday, declared himself the Interim National Chairman of the party, citing a leadership crisis allegedly engineered by individuals he described as “political hooligans.” He described the development as an unprecedented assault on democracy and vowed to resist it.

Gombe disclosed this in Abuja during a press briefing, where he accused former party leaders of abandoning their constitutional responsibilities and handing over the party’s structures to “powerful outsiders” with no ties to the ADC. He also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to urgently acknowledge the leadership change and uphold the ADC constitution.

He warned that if those behind the crisis failed to comply with constitutional provisions, legal action would be taken. Gombe said: “I, Honourable Nafiu Bala, a bonafide member and a duly elected National Deputy Chairman of our great party, the African Democratic Congress, wishes to draw the attention of the entire members of our great party and Nigerians at large, to the ongoing acts of political hooliganism being perpetrated by some individuals who were hitherto entrusted with the leadership of the party.

“We are all living witnesses to the show of shame and acts of lawlessness being displayed by these unscrupulous leaders, who, without any qualm or sense of moral restraint, plunged our party into a needless crisis and leadership uncertainty.

“The idea of mortgaging the future of our great party, by abdicating the constitutional duties and responsibilities of all elected officers of the party, to some powerful outsiders who never belong to the party, is condemnable.”

Reaffirming his commitment to restoring order within the ADC, Gombe emphasised that the party’s constitution provides clear guidelines for succession and the filling of vacant positions. He added, “In the circumstances and also in furtherance of my constitutional mandate as the duly elected National Deputy Chairman of our great party, I now assume my constitutional duty and responsibility as the Interim National Chairman of our great party.

“Therefore, I am hereby calling on the esteemed Independent National Electoral Commission to urgently step in to take due cognisance of this development.”

Bashir el-Rufai says Obi, not Atiku, poses stronger threat to Tinubu
ALSO, Bashir El-Rufai, son of former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, has said Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, stands a stronger chance of defeating President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election than former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. In a post shared on X yesterday, Bashir argued that Obi, if he selects a strong northern running mate, is more likely to beat the incumbent president.

He also suggested that Obi’s rising popularity among young Nigerians and his wide grassroots appeal make him a greater challenge not just to Tinubu, but also to Atiku.

“Atiku is a force to be reckoned with. He also feels the stars have finally aligned in his favour,” he wrote. “And although 2019 is thought to have been his best shot, this may be one of those ‘moment meets the man’.”

PDP’s ex-legal adviser faults ADC’s spokesperson
FORMER National Legal Adviser to the Peoples Democratic Party, Jacob Mark, has criticised Bolaji Abdullahi, interim spokesperson of the African Democratic Congress, over his comments on Peter Obi’s political future.

Abdullahi had dismissed speculations that Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, may return to the PDP ahead of the 2027 general election. Speaking on Prime Time, a programme aired on Arise News on Monday, Abdullahi argued that such a move would be politically harmful to Obi.

He maintained that the former Anambra State governor remains part of the newly formed opposition coalition under the ADC, and is aware of the risks of returning to the PDP. Abdullahi also claimed the coalition’s emergence had unsettled some interests within the PDP, while stating that the ruling All Progressives Congress still wields considerable influence over the main opposition party.

Reacting to these remarks, Mark accused Abdullahi of being a political opportunist who frequently switches parties in search of personal advantage.
“He (Bolaji) was a minister. He did this and that on different platforms. So these are the kind of politicians I don’t really bother myself about, because they are seekers of office, they are not ideal people who should determine political discussion,” Mark said.

“Their major brand, or their major concern is how to grab power, how to get to office. I don’t have a lot of respect for them, but that is their style. Maybe Nigeria makes it possible for people to jump.” He further dismissed the ADC coalition as lacking genuine intent to support Obi, saying, “Peter Obi is a mature politician who knows exactly what he’s carrying if he wants to go and join the ADC, that’s his business.”

Mark expressed doubt that the ADC would back Obi’s presidential bid, alleging that the coalition had a hidden agenda. “Peter Obi can only deceive himself if he thinks that these people mean well for him… This coalition, the way it is, is not his baby, and he doesn’t have a say as to how the baby is going to be born.”

He insisted that without Obi, the ADC lacks legitimacy, adding, “Take down Peter Obi from ADC, who will look at them, who will even discuss ADC?” Mark reiterated his commitment to the PDP and urged Nigerians to beware of politicians only interested in power.

Imoke says ADC coalition serious about 2027 takeover
FORMER Cross River State governor, Liyel Imoke, has said the African Democratic Congress and its coalition partners are committed to taking over power in the 2027 general elections, citing widespread disillusionment with the ruling All Progressives Congress.

Speaking at the inaugural meeting of the ADC in Calabar yesterday, Imoke described the growing coalition as a direct response to Nigerians’ deepening sense of hopelessness and economic hardship.

“We are not joking about the takeover in 2027. No amount of propaganda can stop the coalition,” he declared. He dismissed speculations about potential disagreements between key opposition figures like Peter Obi and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, stating that unity within the alliance would hold. Imoke argued that the quality of stakeholders driving the movement signals serious intent to challenge the APC’s hold on power.