Politics
Defections: Only Undertakers Remaining In PDP — APC
The APC spokesman, Mr Seye Oladejo, in a statement on Saturday in Lagos, said this while reacting to the recent defection of some PDP leaders to the APC.
Mr Oladejo urged the former ruling party to stop downplaying “the wave of defections currently rocking its already fractured structure”.
He said: “The PDP’s claim that defections cannot break it is not only laughable but also betrays the party’s chronic state of denial, delusion and self-deception.
“What is happening to the PDP today is not mere political migration, it is the inevitable consequence of years of internal deceit, lack of ideology, and serial betrayal among its leaders.
“When a house is built on quicksand, it does not take much for it to collapse.
“The ongoing exodus from the PDP is only a confirmation that even its loyalists have lost faith in a party that has consistently failed to reform itself or offer a credible alternative to Nigerians.
“The few remaining members of the PDP are perhaps the undertakers – staying behind only to perform the final rites and fittingly dispose of what remains of a once-dominant but now lifeless political carcass.”
According to him, the APC is not surprised at the wave of defections from the PDP as the opposition party has only thrived on propaganda and empty rhetoric.
He claimed that the former ruling party had mismanaged the nation for 16 years before the coming of the APC.
Mr Oladejo said that PDP could not suddenly reinvent itself as a credible opposition “when it remains a cesspool of confusion and leadership vacuum”.
“The recent defection of key figures from the PDP to the APC is a testament to the growing confidence in President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“It will serve the PDP’s best interest to start learning to walk alone on the dark, bumpy road to 2027.
“The party is obviously over for the former ‘largest party in Africa,’ and the sooner it confronts that reality, the less humiliating its final exit will be,” he added.
According to him, PDP should look inward, conduct an honest post-mortem of its failures, and come to terms with the reality that its relevance in Nigeria’s political space has drastically waned.
“The opposition cannot claim to be unshaken when its members are fleeing in droves to a party that represents progress, stability, and genuine leadership.
“For the APC, these defections are not just political victories – they are endorsements of our party’s enduring commitment to national renewal and people-centred governance.
“The Nigerian people are speaking loudly and the message is clear: the era of deceitful opposition politics is over,” Mr Oladejo said.
Recall that a number of PDP governors and members of the House of Assembly, as well as other key figures, recently dumped the party for the APC.
Last Thursday, two remaining PDP members in the Ondo State House of Assembly defected to APC, citing internal crisis in the opposition party.
They are former House Minority Leader, Mr Olajide Oguntodu, representing Akure South 1 Constituency, and his deputy, Mr Oluwatoyin Daodu, representing Akoko South West 1 Constituency.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for political parties to submit the list of candidates for the 2027 governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections from Saturday, August 8, to Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
The commission announced the extension in a statement issued on Saturday and signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna.
According to INEC, the decision followed appeals by political parties for additional time to complete the submission process through the dedicated online portal.
“The submission window, which according to the revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the General Election was originally scheduled to close on Saturday, 8th August, 2026, has been extended to Tuesday, 11th August, 2026,” the commission said.
In a a related development, INEC announced the suspension of PVC collection in Osun State ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
The commission said voters who applied for replacement of lost, damaged or defaced Permanent Voter Cards would have until midnight on Sunday, August 9, to print downloadable copies of their cards.
The electoral body explained that the deadline was necessary to enable it compile data on downloaded PVCs and produce final statistics on the total number of cards collected ahead of the election.
INEC said PVC collection in Osun commenced at the Registration Area level from July 22 to 28, 2026, but was extended to July 31 following complaints about large crowds and difficulties experienced by voters at collection centres.
The exercise subsequently moved to the local government level and ran from August 1 to 7.
The commission also disclosed that replacement downloadable PVCs had been made available to voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas following the theft of cards during attacks on the two collection centres.
It stressed that the stolen cards could not be used to vote.
INEC reassured Osun residents of its preparedness for the August 15 governorship election.
“The commission reiterates that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
“INEC reassures the people of Osun State of its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive governorship election on 15th August, 2026,” the statement said.
The commission said the deadline, initially set for Saturday, 8 August, has been extended to Tuesday, 11 August 2026, following appeals from political parties for more time.
INEC also announced that the window for voters who applied to replace lost, damaged or defaced PVCs to download their replacement cards will close at midnight on Sunday, 9 August.
The move is to enable the commission compile final PVC collection figures ahead of the 15 August Osun governorship election.
INEC said replacement downloadable PVCs have also been provided to affected voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas after hoodlums carted away cards from two collection centres, stressing that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
The commission reaffirmed its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive election in Osun State.
Gov. Kefas made the remarks over the weekend at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jalingo, during the flag-off of the second phase of the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach in Taraba State, organised as part of activities marking Prof. Yilwatda’s 58th birthday.
The governor commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing to mark his birthday by providing medical care to people in need.
“What Professor Nentawe did is a powerful demonstration of what leadership should be,” Gov. Kefas said.
He assured that his administration would continue to support initiatives that complement government efforts to improve healthcare delivery and the wellbeing of residents.
Speaking at the event, Prof. Yilwatda called on Nigerian leaders to embrace the culture of giving and use their positions to touch the lives of the less privileged.
He said his decision to celebrate his 58th birthday in Taraba State was deliberate and informed by the needs of underserved communities, particularly people who face difficulties accessing healthcare because of distance and financial constraints.
According to him, the intervention followed a needs assessment and was extended across the three senatorial districts of the state.
He said the exercise commenced on August 3 at Takum General Hospital and covered the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Wukari; First Referral Hospital, Sunkani, Ardo-Kola Local Government Area; General Hospital, Bali; General Hospital, Gembu; and FMC Jalingo.
Prof. Yilwatda said the intervention provided medical services to thousands of beneficiaries, including people who required surgical procedures.
He said sustainable national development could only be achieved when strong institutions placed Nigerians at the centre of development.
“Leadership is about service,” he said, urging political and public leaders to make giving back to society an important part of their responsibilities.
He reaffirmed his commitment to serving Nigeria and its people, saying his personal vision was to make every day of his life useful to humanity.
“Every day that I live, the vision is: let it be useful to humanity,” he said.
The Taraba State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Bordiya Buma, commended the initiative, saying it was consistent with the Renewed Hope agenda and efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery in the state.
Dr Buma said the second phase followed the successful completion of the first phase, which was conducted simultaneously in six local government areas, with two LGAs selected from each of the three senatorial districts.
According to him, more than 10,000 patients were attended to during the first phase, including people with medical and surgical conditions.
He disclosed that 327 general surgeries, 71 eye surgeries and 575 dental procedures were carried out during the exercise.
The commissioner expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach and thanked Prof. Yilwatda for supporting the initiative and choosing Taraba State as a beneficiary.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, also commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing Taraba State to mark his 58th birthday through a medical outreach.
Prof. Pate said making healthcare the centrepiece of the birthday celebration was significant because health affects everyone.
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