Defections: Politicians Looking For Where ‘Sins’ Are Forgiven – Ologbondiyan

By John Audu
Former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kola Ologbondiyan.
A former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kola Ologbondiyan, has attributed the recent wave of defections of opposition leaders to the All Progressives Congress (APC) to perceived threats of a witch-hunt by the ruling party.
Last month, Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, along with his predecessor Ifeanyi Okowa, several commissioners, and other key figures, defected from the PDP to the APC. Speculation is rife that more governors may follow suit.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, Ologbondiyan asserted that these defections are driven by a desire for political refuge, aimed at avoiding potential persecution by the APC.
“You must not forget that the former National Chairman of APC told Nigerians that just come over here, we will forgive all your sins, so people are looking for where sins are forgiven,” Ologbondiyan stated during the program.
However, the former PDP spokesperson maintained that regardless of the number of opposition leaders the APC manages to attract, the party will still face the challenge of winning over millions of Nigerian voters in the 2027 elections.
“But you know one thing, at the end of it all, it is going to be about the Nigerians’ position. You may pack all the 36 governors and put them in one boardroom and say they should declare for you. Have you packed the over 200 million Nigerians into the same boardroom? The answer is no,” he emphasized.
‘You can’t blame us for your dysfunction’
Responding to Ologbondiyan’s claims on the same program, APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, dismissed the allegations, stating that the PDP is misplacing blame for its internal crises.
“First of all, I am sure that my brother (Kola Ologbondiyan) does not mean a whole lot what he said because he can’t possibly under any guise be blaming the APC for the utter dysfunction and immobility within the internal ranks of his party, the Peoples Democratic Party,” Morka countered.
He argued that the PDP cannot attribute its predicament to the APC when the party itself is grappling with unresolved issues regarding its national chairmanship and secretary.
Morka questioned the PDP’s credibility to lead the nation, given its internal strife. “How can a party that cannot resolve the issue of its national chairman and Secretary be trusted to lead the country?” He asked.