Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has criticised the recent trend of high-profile defections from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), describing the political realignments as a distraction from Nigeria’s escalating economic distress. In his monthly newsletter released on Thursday, the Governor stated that the shifting of party allegiances has done nothing to address the nation’s severe issues of poverty, hunger, growing inequality, and rapidly declining living standards. Makinde’s comments follow a flurry of defections from the main opposition party, including the recent switches by Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu and Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa to the APC.
The Governor lamented that the national conversation has once again become fixated on which politician is moving, rather than focusing on the more critical national issues. Makinde stated that for him, the “only defection that truly matters is the one that has not happened yet — the defection of hunger,” insisting he would only be moved when ‘hunger defects into the APC’. He underscored that while political pundits are absorbed in reading meaning into every handshake and silence, ordinary Nigerians are grappling daily to afford basic necessities and are being forced to make impossible choices for their families’ survival.
According to the Oyo State Governor, these economic challenges, rather than political drama, should command the nation’s urgent attention. He argued that the current experience is the widening of inequality, where the wealthy are only adjusting to the changes while the poor are sinking into deeper hardship. Makinde contended that it is hunger, not partisanship, that serves as the true fuel for the widespread frustration and hopelessness being felt across the country.
The Governor further warned that any government policy that removes money from people’s pockets is a move that pushes citizens closer to abject poverty. He asserted that policies that are disconnected from the realities of hunger, unemployment, and the erosion of human dignity are not policies that should be defended, maintaining his belief that politics must fundamentally serve humanity. He then recalled a period when the PDP presided over a time of comparative prosperity in Nigeria, noting that citizens still remember when salaries held value, when businesses could plan effectively, and when hope was not merely an illusion.
Concluding his message, Governor Makinde tasked members of the PDP to focus on rebuilding public trust and restoring the party’s primary mandate, which he said should be a platform that prioritises the welfare of the people over mere political manoeuvring. He stressed the importance of the PDP focusing on the core issues affecting citizens’ livelihoods.
