A former National Legal Adviser of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Jacob Mark, has poured cold water on the recent defection of former Delta State Governor and 2023 vice presidential candidate Ifeanyi Okowa to the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing it as politically inconsequential.

Speaking on Arise News following Okowa’s high-profile move alongside Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and several lawmakers, Mark said the defection would not cause any “tsunami” within the PDP ranks.

“Truthfully, there is no political party that will celebrate the departure of a sitting government. But whether that amounts to an earthquake is something else to discuss,” he said.

Okowa, who served as Atiku Abubakar’s running mate during the 2023 presidential election, failed to secure a victory for the PDP in his home state—a failure Mark said calls into question the political weight Okowa carries.

“If he could not deliver his state to the PDP even as a vice presidential candidate, what tsunami can his defection possibly cause?” Mark asked rhetorically.

He emphasised that political loyalty in Delta State tends to be voter-driven rather than dictated by elite influence.

“The people of Delta State have consistently displayed electoral capacity to think for themselves. They take decisions beneficial to themselves, not necessarily those of stakeholders, governors, or senators,” Mark said

The PDP stalwart further argued that Okowa’s move likely reflects personal or strategic interests rather than widespread grassroots support.

“It is possible that the governor and the former governor have their interests, which may not align with those of the electorate,” he added.

Political parties lack ideologies in Nigeria – Mark

He also questioned the motivations behind defections in Nigerian politics more broadly, suggesting that ideology rarely plays a role.

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“We are not operating based on any ideology. All the political parties are the same. People move for appointments, personal negotiations, and political mileage,” Mark stated.

While acknowledging that defection is a constitutional right, he stressed that whether the APC gains meaningful ground in Delta remains to be seen.

“It’s questionable whether, indeed, having moved to the APC, the people will follow him,” he said.

The defection, which included not just Okowa and Oborevwori but also several National and State Assembly members and local government officials, was hailed by the APC as a major coup.

However, critics like Mark argue that such moves are more theatrical than transformative, at least until they are tested at the ballot box.

Former Senate President Bukola Saraki has urged members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who intend to leave the party to do so immediately, emphasising the need for the party to refocus and rebuild ahead of the 2027 general elections.

His call comes in the wake of high-profile defections, including Delta Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and other key figures.

Saraki stated that the departure of those who wish to leave would allow the remaining members to concentrate on repositioning the party.

He emphasised the importance of PDP playing the role of a strong and viable opposition in Nigeria’s political future.

“Those who want to leave the PDP should leave now and let the rest of us who want to stay concentrate on rebuilding the party and refocusing it to play the role of a viable opposition,” he remarked.

Saraki Urges Focus on Rebuilding for 2027 Elections

The former Senate President further argued that the PDP must re-strategise for the greater good of Nigeria and its citizens.

He expressed concern that the country might be moving towards a one-party state, which he believes would be detrimental to Nigeria’s diverse society.

“A one-party state… will not augur well for a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, multi-cultural, multi-religious, and highly diversified society like ours,” Saraki warned.

He emphasised that a viable opposition is essential for keeping the government accountable and offering credible alternatives to the public.

Ikenga Ugochinyere, a member of the House of Representatives representing Ideato Federal Constituency in Imo State, has raised the alarm over alleged plans by two governors and 40 lawmakers elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to defect to other parties.

Ugochinyere disclosed this in a video posted on social media on Friday, April 25, 2025, in which he lamented the protracted crisis rocking the opposition party.

The lawmaker attributed the recent spate of defections from the PDP to the unresolved internal crises and growing dissatisfaction with the current leadership.

“Because of the crisis in the party, I can confirm to you that two more governors in the party want to decamp and 40 lawmakers also want to decamp,” Ugochinyere alleged.

ALSO READ: Anybody’s free to leave – Atiku breaks silence after Delta PDP defects to APC

The Imo lawmaker accused the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, and the PDP’s National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, of sabotaging the party from within, calling on the National Working Committee (NWC) to immediately expel them to prevent the party’s total collapse.

“Averting this imminent danger, which will happen in the matter of days, the NWC must immediately rise up and summon an emergency meeting of the party with the simple majority which they already have, with or without Damagum, to expel Anyanwu the political traitor and also ratify the removal of Damagum by anointing a north-central person as acting or substantial national chairman of our party.

“Here in Imo, we don’t know who Anyanwu is. We only know him as an APC agent and a political coward who has no shame and is accepting to be the one to bury Africa’s biggest opposition party.”

Wike working to paralyse the PDP

Ugochinyere argued that the Imo PDP had already approved Anyanwu’s expulsion at the state level and urged the NWC to follow suit without delay.

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The lawmaker announced Chris Odoemenam as the acting PDP chairman of Imo State and called on the national body to recognise the decision.

“As state leader of the party, I’m saying Chris Odoemenam is our state acting chairman, and the NWC must also recognise that so we can start the internal cleansing of our party,” he said.

According to him, despite the alleged damage caused by Wike and Anyanwu, the duo are still scheming underground to cripple the party’s leadership using legal tactics.

“PDP is sinking and it is sinking very fast, and despite the damage they have done, they have perfected fresh plans again to ensure that the NWC is incapacitated with multiple suits filed at the federal high court,” he alleged.

ALSO READ: 2027: Saraki issues ultimatum to imminent PDP defectors as rebuilding begins

Ugochinyere further warned that failure to act swiftly and decisively could accelerate the exodus of members, further weakening the party ahead of the 2027 elections.

He proposed a leadership overhaul, starting with the removal of Amb Umar Iliya Damagum as the acting National Chairman, and the appointment of a new Chairman from the North-Central zone.

To Avert Defections, Damagum Must Be Removed, Wike, Anyanwu Expelled – Ugochinyere

The PDP National Working Committee must take decisive action against perceived political traitors within the party. 2 Governors, 40 Lawmakers are on their way out of PDP, the NWC must expel… pic.twitter.com/3lKt2n0rDM

— ARISE NEWS (@ARISEtv) April 25, 2025