By: Manoah Kikekon
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| Philip Aivoji and PDP |
In a dramatic political realignment ahead of Lagos State’s local government elections, prominent leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), including its Lagos State Publicity Secretary, Hon. Hakeem Amode, have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The move comes amid growing dissatisfaction with the PDP’s internal divisions and what defectors describe as the incompetent leadership of State Chairman Philip Aivoji.
The exodus includes former PDP candidates, executive members, and influential stakeholders who claim the party has abandoned its founding principles. At a press briefing on Monday, Amode accused the PDP of becoming "directionless" and "disconnected" from the democratic ideals that once made it a dominant force in Nigerian politics.
Amode referenced recent statements from high-profile PDP figures like ex-Benue Governor Gabriel Suswam and Akwa Ibom Governor Umo Eno, who warned that the party risks collapse. Suswam famously declared the PDP "in a coma," while Eno questioned its ability to field candidates in 2027 due to unresolved leadership crises.
“We are witnessing a repeat of the 2019 Zamfara disaster, where internal chaos led to disqualifications,” Amode said. “The Lagos PDP under Aivoji is fractured, ineffective, and incapable of uniting behind its candidates.”
The defectors accused Aivoji’s leadership of undermining the party’s 2023 governorship campaign, alleging that some PDP leaders secretly worked against their own candidate, Dr. Abdul-Azeez Adediran (JANDOR).
Amode revealed that despite facing violent attacks in Surulere, Kosofe, Agege, and Badagry while campaigning, the state leadership offered no support.