The National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Debo Ologunagba, has dismissed insinuations that the party is collapsing, maintaining that the PDP remains strong and rooted in the people despite recent defections and internal challenges.
Speaking on ARISE News on Tuesday, Ologunagba accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of trying to destabilize the opposition through “coercion, intimidation, and inducement,” but said such tactics would fail as Nigerians are “fed up with hardship and insecurity.”
“When a governor defects, it’s a concern, but the PDP’s strength isn’t in governors — it’s in the people,” Ologunagba stressed. “If the PDP is dead, why is everyone still so interested in it?”
Reacting to reports of defections like that of Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah, he described them as self-serving moves rather than ideological decisions. “People are no longer defecting because of policies but because of inducements and intimidation,” he said.
Ologunagba, however, acknowledged that the party faces internal issues but emphasized that it is handling them through due process. “Yes, democracy is slow, but it’s deliberate. We’re managing people and interests carefully. When there’s a madman in a china shop, you don’t destroy the shop — you get him out cautiously.”
He also dismissed rumours of the PDP being “in a vegetative state,” citing past revivals in Oyo and Ondo States as proof of resilience. “In 2017, they said we were finished in Oyo; by 2019, we won the governorship. The soul of the PDP lies in the people.”
On a lawsuit allegedly aimed at halting the party’s planned convention, he described it as a “threat to democracy” orchestrated by forces seeking a one-party state.
Addressing questions about the influence of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, Ologunagba declined to name names but said: “Nigerians can see through those undermining democracy from within. Despite all, PDP will survive. Our convention in November will mark a new beginning.”
He concluded that the 2027 general elections would focus on hunger, insecurity, and economic hardship, noting: “The only time people will defect from the PDP is when hunger defects from Nigeria.”
He ended the session by condoling with ARISE News over the death of one of its staff, calling it a reflection of a government that has failed in its primary duty — ensuring security and welfare.
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