Former Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu
Former Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu has cautioned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leadership against re-admitting members who previously defected to other parties, labeling them “nomadic politicians” who exacerbate the party’s challenges.
Speaking at a PDP Consultative Conference in Abuja on Wednesday, Aliyu recalled the party’s national convention in Port Harcourt, where many emerging candidates were defectors with a history of switching allegiances. He urged the party to learn from past mistakes, criticizing the leadership’s open invitation to returnees. “The chairman and governors’ forum chairman have been diplomatic, saying ‘come back,’ but you don’t invite nomadic politicians back. They have a track record of instability,” he said.
Aliyu traced the PDP’s internal crises, particularly from 2013-2014, to a lack of discipline and prioritizing personal interests over collective goals. “We can’t keep allowing the same troublemakers to derail our progress, only to welcome them back. The 2019 period was especially shocking,” he remarked.
He advocated rewarding loyal members over frequent defectors and cited the PDP constitution, which requires returnees to “join the queue.” Aliyu emphasized building principled politics, even if it doesn’t yield immediate electoral success.
Additionally, he called on Senate Minority Leader Sen. Abba Moro to ensure compliance with a court ruling regarding the recall of suspended Kogi Central Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
In contrast, acting National Chairman Umar Damagum reiterated that the PDP remains open to defectors, stating, “Our doors are open to those who wish to return, hoping they rediscover their place here, as PDP was their first political home.” He acknowledged past internal fractures, including significant ones in 2013 and ongoing issues, but insisted the PDP remains the only platform capable of restoring power to the people despite self-inflicted setbacks. Damagum described the conference as proof of the party’s resilience and its aim to reclaim prominence in Nigerian politics.
Bauchi State Governor and PDP Governors’ Forum Chairman Bala Mohammed urged defectors not to tarnish the PDP’s image, through which many achieved political success. He criticized members secretly aligning with coalitions while remaining in the PDP, saying, “You cannot be in PDP and in a coalition with another party. That’s an aberration. You can’t be both things at once.” Mohammed acknowledged past accommodations of defectors who later caused losses, like in 2015, but stressed the party’s unity despite recent exits.
Former Senate President Bukola Saraki advised against abandoning the PDP due to frustrations, noting that all parties face challenges. Reflecting on his own departure from and return to the PDP, he said, “Leaving in anger doesn’t solve leadership problems. Departures should be based on ideology and vision for Nigeria, not emotions.” (NAN)
