In a compelling statement, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has articulated that the most significant “defection” Nigeria desperately needs is not political, but rather the “defection of hunger and poverty” afflicting its citizens.
In his bi-monthly newsletter released on Friday, Governor Makinde reflected on the recent surge of defections by various politicians, particularly governors leaving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and other political parties. He emphasized that the critical discourse should shift from political realignments to addressing the nation’s escalating economic challenges.
“I am sure many of you have been following the recent defections of politicians, especially the governors who have left the PDP for the APC and other parties,” he stated in the newsletter. “As political pundits interpret every shift with fervor, our national conversation has again narrowed to who is moving rather than what is truly at stake. For me, the only defection that genuinely matters is the one we have yet to witness—the defection of hunger.”
Governor Makinde lamented that while politicians are preoccupied with changing allegiances, ordinary Nigerians are grappling with daily survival, forced into making “impossible choices” amidst rising costs and soaring unemployment.
“When asked about the recent political crossovers during a press conference, I remarked, ‘I will only be moved when hunger defects into the APC.’ I meant every word of it,” he declared, pointing out that inequality is widening as the affluent adjust to economic hardships while the impoverished sink deeper into adversity.
According to him, the growing discontent among citizens is driven not by partisan politics but by hunger and despair—factors he identifies as the true threats to national stability.
Makinde underscored that the outcome of the 2027 general elections would ultimately rest in the hands of the Nigerian populace, not as a result of political maneuvering or defections. He urged his party, the PDP, to rebuild trust by proposing tangible solutions to alleviate economic suffering.
“No matter what analysts predict or the number of orchestrated defections, it is the Nigerian people who will determine the outcome of the 2027 elections,” he wrote. “Our duty in the PDP is to consistently demonstrate that we can deliver relief where others have inflicted hardship.”
He also highlighted that the forthcoming national convention of the PDP in Ibadan provides an ideal opportunity for the party to “reset and reaffirm its principles,” asserting that politics must always serve the greater good of humanity.
“Let others defect for convenience. Let us stand firm for our conscience,” Makinde emphasized. “When hunger finally defects, prosperity will return, restoring our dignity as a people.”
These remarks come against the backdrop of a series of high-profile defections from the PDP to the ruling APC, including Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah and Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri. These developments have further weakened the PDP’s influence ahead of the 2027 elections, leaving the opposition party governing only eight states nationwide.
