Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has stated that the only defection Nigerians truly need is not political, but the “defection of hunger and poverty” from people’s lives.
In his bi-monthly newsletter released on Friday, Makinde reflected on the recent wave of defections by some governors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), urging Nigerians to focus on solving the country’s economic challenges instead of being distracted by political drama.
“I know many of you have seen the news about governors leaving the PDP for the APC and other parties,” he wrote. “Political pundits are analyzing 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.”
The governor lamented that while politicians are busy switching parties, ordinary Nigerians continue to face rising prices, job losses, and daily struggles just to survive.
“When I said recently that I’ll only be moved when hunger defects to the APC, I meant it,” Makinde reiterated. “Inequality keeps widening — the rich are adjusting, but the poor are sinking deeper into hardship.”
He stressed that the real issue dividing Nigerians is not politics but poverty and hopelessness, which he called the biggest threats to national unity and peace.
Makinde added that the outcome of the 2027 general election would not be determined by political alliances but by how well parties address the people’s needs. “No matter how many defections happen, Nigerians will decide who leads them. The PDP must show that we can provide relief where others have brought pain,” he said.
Speaking on the PDP’s upcoming national convention in Ibadan, Makinde said it would serve as a chance for the party to “reset and reassert its values,” emphasizing that “politics must always serve humanity.”
“Let others defect for convenience; we must stand for conscience,” he declared. “Because when hunger finally defects, prosperity will return — and so will our pride as a people.”
Makinde’s comments come amid a wave of defections from the PDP to the APC, including Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah and Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri, a development that further reduces PDP’s control to just eight states nationwide.