Analyst: PDP’s Refusal to Zone 2023 Ticket to South-East Sparked Party’s Deep Crisis and Mass Defections

Political affairs analyst, Majeed Dahiru, has warned that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is facing a “deep internal crisis,” stemming from its decision not to zone the 2023 presidential ticket to the South, particularly the South-East. He described this as a “mortal sin” that has triggered widespread defections and eroded the party’s national unity.

Dahiru’s comments come amid fresh defections from the PDP, including that of Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, who formally announced his move to the All Progressives Congress (APC) during a press conference in Enugu on Tuesday. Mbah said his defection was driven by a desire to advance Enugu’s development goals through stronger collaboration with the federal government under the APC.

Following Mbah’s move, three PDP lawmakers from Kaduna State—Abdulkarim Ahmed (Kaduna South), Aliyu Mustapha (Ikara/Kubau), and Sadiq Ango-Abdullahi (Sabongari)—also defected to the APC, citing internal party divisions and a desire to align with President Bola Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope Agenda.” Their resignations were read by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas during plenary.

Speaking on ARISE News Night, Dahiru said Mbah’s defection reflects deeper structural issues within the PDP, arguing that the party’s consistent neglect of the South-East, a region that has been a loyal base since 1998, has caused long-term damage. He maintained that ignoring calls for zoning the 2023 ticket to the South was the turning point that fractured the party’s foundation.

According to him, “The South-East has always been the PDP’s strongest pillar. When 17 Southern governors met in Asaba and demanded power shift to the South, the logical step would have been to present a candidate from the South-East. Instead, the PDP ignored that call and alienated its core supporters.”

Dahiru added that the party also missed a major opportunity to rebuild its Southern support base by failing to rally around Peter Obi, the former Labour Party presidential candidate, who, he noted, had both the popularity and regional appeal to unite the South.

He lamented that the PDP’s influence continues to decline, citing Anambra State—once a PDP stronghold—where no aspirant has purchased governorship nomination forms. He further linked the party’s unending legal and leadership disputes to the fallout from its zoning failure and the exit of key figures like Obi, coupled with Nyesom Wike’s open alignment with the APC-led government.

Commenting on Nigeria’s broader political landscape, Dahiru downplayed defections between the PDP and APC, saying both parties share little ideological difference. However, he expressed concern about defections from the Labour Party, which he said originated from genuine grassroots activism.

“If there’s any political movement Nigerians should be worried about losing members from, it’s the Labour Party. That party was built by the people, for the people. When its elected members defect, it’s a betrayal of that movement,” he warned.

Dahiru concluded that Nigeria lost a vital opportunity to strengthen democratic values, as politicians emerging from people-driven platforms have begun to adopt the same elitist tendencies they once opposed. “Those who rose through the people’s struggle are now behaving like the establishment they vowed to change,” he said.