Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kola Ologbondiyan, has alleged that governors elected on the platform of the PDP are being harassed and pressured to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the lead-up to the 2027 general elections.
Speaking during an interview on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television programme on Tuesday, Ologbondiyan claimed that recent political developments indicate a pattern of coercion targeting PDP governors, aimed at weakening the opposition ahead of the next electoral cycle.
Ologbondiyan’s remarks come in the wake of a high-profile reconciliation meeting involving President Bola Tinubu, the suspended Governor of Rivers State, Sim Fubara, and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
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The meeting, held behind closed doors on Sunday, ended with the political rivals appearing united, smiling for a photograph—an image many see as symbolic of Tinubu’s growing influence in opposition territories.
In March, following a prolonged political crisis in Rivers State between Wike and Fubara, President Tinubu had declared a state of emergency in the state and suspended Governor Fubara, Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu, and the State House of Assembly. That crisis, Ologbondiyan said, underscores the broader strategy to destabilize PDP-led states.
Further fueling concerns within the PDP, two sitting governors—Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State and Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom—recently defected to the APC. Both cited internal crises within the PDP as reasons for their decision, but Ologbondiyan dismissed those claims, alleging the real cause was external pressure and political intimidation.
“Talking about the Rivers situation, I will be honest and I think that the PDP did all it could, some on a negative side, others on a positive side. The takeaway for the Peoples Democratic Party in this matter is that its governors are being harassed,” Ologbondiyan stated.
“They are being humiliated, and whether they can openly say it or not, they are being forced to abandon their party and join the All Progressives Congress and President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s political party.”
Acknowledging the reconciliation between Wike and Fubara as a political setback for the PDP, Ologbondiyan emphasized the importance of looking forward. He urged party leaders to focus on protecting and retaining its remaining governors, rather than dwelling on recent losses.
“Whatever has happened in Rivers State is a loss, but the party must move forward and ensure its members are not coerced into joining the ruling party,” he added.
