Makinde: Political defections can’t feed Nigerians

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has said that the most important defection Nigeria needs is not political but economic — the “defection of hunger and poverty” from the lives of its citizens.

In his bi-monthly newsletter released on Friday, Makinde reflected on the recent wave of defections by governors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), urging Nigerians to focus on economic realities rather than political realignments.

“Many of you have seen the recent defections of politicians, especially governors, from the PDP to the APC and other parties,” Makinde wrote.

“Political commentators have been busy reading meanings into every handshake and silence. But for me, the only defection that truly matters is the one that hasn’t happened yet — the defection of hunger.”

Makinde lamented that while politicians switched parties, ordinary Nigerians continued to struggle with rising prices, unemployment, and daily survival challenges.

“When I was asked about this wave of defections during a press briefing, I said, ‘I will only be moved when hunger defects into the APC.’ I meant every word,” he stated, adding that inequality was widening as the rich adjusted to economic hardship while the poor sank deeper into poverty.

He warned that the growing frustration among citizens was driven not by politics but by hunger and hopelessness — which he described as the real threats to national stability.

The governor stressed that the 2027 general elections would ultimately be decided by the people, not political manoeuvres or elite defections.

“No matter the number of defections or predictions by analysts, Nigerians will decide the 2027 elections,” he said.

“Our task in the PDP is to prove that we can provide relief where others have brought pain.”

Makinde added that the PDP’s forthcoming national convention in Ibadan would offer the party a chance to “reset and reassert its values,” emphasising that politics must serve the people’s welfare.

“Let others defect for convenience; let us stand firm for conscience,” he said. “When hunger finally defects, prosperity will return — and with it, our pride as a people.”

Makinde’s comments come amid a series of high-profile defections from the PDP to the ruling APC, including those of Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah and Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri, developments that have further reduced the PDP’s control to just eight states nationwide.