The Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Adolphus Wabara, has predicted that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) will soon implode following the influx of former PDP members, who he said would eventually displace loyal APC members.
Speaking to journalists on Saturday, Wabara criticized President Bola Tinubu, accusing him of steering Nigeria towards a one-party system. He warned that suppressing the opposition could foster tyranny and threaten the country’s democratic foundations.
“I warned earlier about Tinubu’s moves towards a one-party state, and it is now unfolding. This trend is dangerous for our democracy,” Wabara said.
Addressing concerns over the recent defections from the PDP — including 2023 vice-presidential candidate Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, and other party figures — Wabara urged PDP members nationwide not to lose heart. He described the defections as a “blessing in disguise” that would not cripple the party’s prospects in 2027.
He asserted that the APC would soon face internal turmoil as former PDP members clash with original APC loyalists, leading many displaced members to return to the PDP.
“The PDP will have the last laugh. Those switching sides now will cause instability within the APC. The loyal APC members being sidelined will seek refuge, and many will find it in the PDP,” he said.
While acknowledging that political defections are not unusual, Wabara attributed the recent movements to political self-preservation, electoral distrust, and the pursuit of second-term guarantees.
He insisted that the 2027 elections would not be an easy ride for the APC. According to him, Nigerians, weary of hardship and misgovernance, would use their votes to demand change.
Wabara also highlighted growing skepticism about the electoral process as a key driver behind the defections, with many fearing manipulated outcomes in future elections. Nevertheless, he expressed confidence that Nigerians would no longer tolerate electoral malpractice.
“The strategy of announcing rigged results and advising aggrieved candidates to seek redress in court will not be accepted again. Nigerians are prepared to defend their democracy,” he emphasized.
He further stated that while some political leaders may defect, the grassroots remain resilient. “The real decision-makers will be the Nigerian people, not political elites,” he said.
Reflecting on the situation in Delta State, Wabara lamented the passing of elder statesman Pa Edwin Clark, suggesting that such widespread defections among Ijaw PDP leaders would not have occurred under Clark’s watch.
“I mourn the passing of Pa Edwin Clark. If he were alive, the political recklessness we’re witnessing in Delta would not have happened. He was a moral compass even without being a PDP member,” Wabara concluded.
