The Peoples Democratic Party Forum of Former Speakers has urged Nigerians to anticipate the return of many politicians who left the party in recent years to join other political platforms.
The Forum described the PDP as the most widely accepted, well-organised, and best-positioned political party to address the nation’s challenges.
This statement was made on Friday following a meeting with the PDP minority leadership in the House of Representatives at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja.
Present at the meeting were the House Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda; Minority Whip, Ali Isa; Chairman of the Forum and a member of the 10th House of Representatives, Inuwa Garba; and the Forum’s Secretary, Williams Edor.
Others in attendance included Bakitta Bello, Friday Itulah, Kwamoti Laori, and Ndanusa Hassan.
Addressing journalists after the meeting, Hon Garba described some defections to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as illegal, expressing confidence that those who left the PDP would soon return.
He said, “We believe some of these defections are illegal as they constitute constitutional breaches. Some politicians do not consider what affects their people or the nation; they focus only on personal interests.
You cannot stop some individuals from switching political parties. However, very soon, you will witness a wave of defections back to the PDP because Nigerians are now better informed and aware of what is best for them and the nation.
One person out of a thousand from a constituency may choose to leave the party for personal gain, but the voters he abandoned know what is good for them and what they stand for.”
Garba further stated that any politician in Nigeria with credibility today was, at some point, groomed by the PDP.
“Any politician you see as credible today was nurtured by the PDP, a party that remains the most widely spread in Africa,” he added, accusing the ruling party of attempting to disrupt the political process.
“It will not work. You may do as you please at a given time, but you cannot always have your way,” he said.
During the meeting, the Forum urged party members to “remain steadfast and united in the face of the current challenges facing the nation.”
It also called on PDP members and leaders at all levels to have faith “in the ongoing efforts to strengthen and unify the party.”
