The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has alleged that the All Progressives Congress, APC, was using undemocratic means, including blackmail and dirty tricks to force its members, especially serving governors to join the ruling party.
The PDP also accused President Bola Tinubu-led APC government of decimating the opposition as part of its plan to foist a one-party state on the country.
The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, made these allegations on Thursday while reacting to claims by a former aide to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, Bashir Ahmad, that two PDP governors would in the next few days defect to the APC.
According to him, most of the defections were not voluntary, but based on coercion, harassment, inducement, and intimidation.
Ahmad had in a post on X on October 7, said the Governor of Taraba State and another governor from the North West would in a matter of days, formally defect to the APC.
The PDP’s spokesperson, who insisted that such forced defections would not last, added that the PDP was bigger than individual members, saying as some people were leaving, others were also joining the party.
“A party is not about individuals but all the people. We have more and more diverse people working for the PDP today. More and more people are returning to the PDP because it’s getting itself together.
“The defections you see today are instigated by inducement, harassment, coercion, intimidation, and I can assure that it won’t last,” he said.