Atiku's plot to contest 2027 presidential poll responsible for PDP bigwigs defection

A Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Chris Ekpenyong has blamed the party's presidential candidate for 2023 general polls, Atiku Abubakar for the ongoing gale of defection of party members.

According to one of the founding fathers, the recent wave of defection of by the party’s bigwigs to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is worrisome.

Ekpenyong, who made the reservation in an interview, predicted other PDP Governors including Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State may soon join the ruling party.

The former deputy governor explained that failure of Atiku to announce that he is not contesting the 2027 presidential polls is forcing many party bigwigs to quit.

He added that instead of ghe former vice president to build the party and play the role of the elder, he has consistently positioning himself as potential candidate for the poll.

According to him, PDP may find it difficult to rise again, lamenting that President Bola Tinubu has captured the opposition party.

“Tinubu has killed the PDP. I’m sure Akwa Ibom may follow soon. Everybody wanted former VP Atiku to clearly state that he wasn’t going to contest, but his persistence has forced people to make their own decisions.

“This is dividing the North and the South. What do we do now? The party has been destroyed. I honestly don’t know how they can rebuild it to challenge the APC in the future.

“The people we could talk to are no longer interested. The first mistake PDP made was handing over the party to the governors.

“That was the mistake founding fathers like Obasanjo made. Obasanjo seized the party. The only ones who stood up to him were the late Chief Sunday Awoniyi and former Vice President Alex Ekwueme”.

Recall that the recent defection of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State, his deputy, Sir Monday Onyeme and his predecessor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa to the APC has continued to unsettle the main opposition party.