…Tinubu: It Is a Coalition of Confusion
…Defectors Returning to Us-PDP
By John Paul
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and President Bola Tinubu yesterday launched stinging attacks on the coalition spearheaded by the African Democratic Congress (ADC), describing it as a “coalition of confusion” and a “failed political experiment.” Both camps dismissed the coalition’s viability, even as several former PDP members who defected to the group are now reportedly returning to the party’s fold.
Speaking at the 14th National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja, President Tinubu took a swipe at opposition coalitions, urging more politicians to defect to the ruling party. He said the APC remains open to accommodating politicians abandoning what he termed a “sinking ship.”
“It’s not a bad idea to abandon a sinking ship and be absent from a coalition of confusion,” Tinubu declared, encouraging defectors to embrace the APC fully. He thanked former National Chairman, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, for his service, especially for establishing the APC Progressive Institute, and hinted that Ganduje could still serve as a consultant to the party’s new leadership.
Tinubu also formally welcomed Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno, who recently decamped from the PDP to the APC. “With the space we have created, our doors remain open, and we should embrace defectors wholeheartedly,” he said.
The president spoke moments after the APC officially announced the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, as the new National Chairman of the party, succeeding Ganduje who resigned in June. Tinubu explained that the postponement of the party’s ward, local government, and state congresses to December was deliberate, aimed at allowing more opposition members time to join the APC.
Meanwhile, the PDP, at its own NEC meeting in Abuja, through Acting National Chairman Umar Iliya Damagum, mocked the ADC-backed coalition as a failed political experiment. He revealed that many PDP members who had defected to the coalition had since returned, some denying ever leaving the party in the first place.
“Many who jumped on the coalition bandwagon have already returned to our fold. Some even claim they never left and merely attended a meeting. We accept their confessions without prejudice,” Damagum told the 101st NEC meeting of the PDP.
He stressed that the PDP remains Nigeria’s only truly national party, with the structure, acceptability, and legacy capable of leading the country. The NEC meeting was attended by key party figures, including governors, state chairpersons, lawmakers, and other stakeholders. Damagum praised the loyalty of PDP governors, calling them the party’s backbone, and lauded its legislators for challenging unpopular policies of the APC-led government.
“The Peoples Democratic Party remains the only party not only poised to reclaim power in 2027 but also the only party with the structure and legacy capable of bearing the weight of this national undertaking,” he said. Damagum urged members to unite and make sincere contributions during deliberations, emphasizing that the PDP’s priority must be the collective interest of Nigerians.
“As we deliberate on the next steps for our great party, I urge us all to be of one mind, to speak truthfully, and to make wise recommendations without prejudice,” he added.