Mutalubi Adebayo, the former Attorney-General of Oyo State, has claimed that the ongoing defections from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have put the party in a state of political crisis, which he describes as a form of “political haemorrhage.”
Adebayo warned that the PDP could face total collapse if it fails to implement urgent reforms to stabilize its internal structure.
In an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, Adebayo gave a blunt assessment of the current state of the PDP. He noted that the party is now struggling with internal instability, citing the fragmented state of the leadership.
“The umbrella is shattered and broken,” he remarked, referencing the PDP’s weakened structure. “Who is the secretary of the PDP now? Who is the acting chairman? PDP is in serious crisis.”
Adebayo’s comments come after a significant political shift in Delta State, where several high-ranking members of the PDP, including Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, his deputy Monday Onyeme, and several local government chairmen, joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) on April 23. The defection marked a major blow to the PDP, especially with that of former Delta Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, who had been the party’s vice-presidential candidate in the 2023 elections.
Adebayo did not mince words when describing the situation in Delta. He pointed out that prominent PDP lawmakers, including Senators Ned Nwoko and James Manager, had also left the party to join the APC.
“In Delta now, Senator Nwoko, Senator Manager, and other parliamentarians have moved from the PDP – the very platform on which they came into office – to the APC. It was a tsunami,” he observed.
The mass defections, according to Adebayo, indicate the depth of the crisis within the PDP, and he questioned the silence of party leaders on the issue. He stressed that while the APC currently holds a majority in the legislature, the legality of the defections could still be challenged in court.
“They may or may not succeed. But if they fail to succeed there, they can still take it before a court of law. By now, a determination could have been made,” he noted.
When asked about the potential implications for the defecting lawmakers, Adebayo acknowledged that while their positions may not be immediately at risk, the defections could still face legal challenges. He further emphasized that the PDP’s internal issues extend beyond the state level, suggesting that the party faces broader problems, even at the national level.
