By John Moses
The Lagos chapter of Nigeria’s main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has downplayed the significance of a wave of defections by some of its prominent figures to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), insisting that the move has little bearing on its current structure and future prospects.
In a statement to the press on Tuesday, Mr Hakeem Olalemi, Vice Chairman of Lagos PDP for the Central District, said the party had already moved on from the individuals who resigned on Monday, suggesting they had not been active within party circles for over two years.
“The people who left have not participated in party activities in recent times. They were aligned with interests outside the PDP long ago. Their official defection simply formalises what we have always known,” Olalemi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Among those who exited the PDP are Alhaji Hakeem Amode, the party’s former State Publicity Secretary; Alhaja Safurat Abdulkareem, a two-time deputy governorship candidate; and Chief Ola Apena, a former deputy chairman of the Lagos PDP. Other notable defectors include Prince Rufus Adeniyi, former assistant organising secretary for Lagos West, and Jerry Afemikhe, a previous House of Representatives candidate in Surulere.
Several 2023 PDP candidates for the Lagos State House of Assembly have also joined the ruling APC. The list includes representatives from key constituencies such as Epe, Eti-Osa, Kosofe, Lagos Island, and Surulere.
Political analysts suggest the defections may signal a consolidation of the APC’s strength in Lagos, a state long considered its stronghold. However, the PDP appears determined to project confidence and continuity, despite the internal shifts.
“We are not concerned in the slightest. The Lagos PDP remains united and focused,” Olalemi affirmed.
