Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has said that the only “defection” Nigerians should be worried about is that of hunger and poverty leaving the country.
Makinde made the remark in response to the recent wave of defections by some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to him, while political defections continue to dominate public discourse, the real concern should be when economic hardship finally “defects” from the lives of ordinary Nigerians.
“I’m sure many of you have been following the recent defections of politicians, especially governors who have left the PDP for the APC and other parties,” Makinde said.
“With these defections, political analysts have been busy interpreting every handshake and silence. Once again, our national conversation is focused on who is moving, rather than what is moving.
“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 families continue to struggle with rising living costs, the political class remains fixated on power plays and alignments.
He warned that widening inequality and economic hardship were deepening frustration and hopelessness among citizens, not partisanship.
Makinde urged the PDP to rebuild public confidence by prioritising policies that tackle poverty and hardship, adding that the 2027 general elections would ultimately be decided by Nigerians, not political manoeuvres.
His comments come amid a wave of high-profile defections from the PDP to the APC, including those of Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah and Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri.
The article was originally published on Politics Nigeria.
