 for the South-South region, Emmanuel Ogidi, has expressed){kind=link}
The National Vice Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the South-South region, Emmanuel Ogidi, has expressed optimism that governors and other key figures who recently defected from the opposition party will soon return.
Speaking on Arise Television’s The Morning Show on Wednesday, Ogidi maintained that despite the ongoing wave of defections, the PDP remains a resilient and well-structured political force capable of weathering internal storms and emerging stronger.
He described the PDP as a party with deep-rooted systems and institutions that cannot be easily shaken by political distractions or external manipulation.
“The PDP is not a party you can destabilise overnight. We have survived worse situations before, and we will come out of this phase even more united,” Ogidi said.
The South-South leader dismissed rumours of plans to disrupt the party’s upcoming national convention, scheduled for November, saying the event would go as planned under the firm supervision of the National Working Committee (NWC) and the National Executive Committee (NEC).
According to him, certain groups that had attempted to set conditions for the convention lacked the legitimacy to speak for the party.
“Some individuals met in Abuja and tried to dictate terms to the party, but PDP is a disciplined organisation,” Ogidi added.
“You can’t just wake up and claim to be stakeholders when you have no mandate.”
Ogidi also took a swipe at the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), accusing it of exploiting the country’s economic hardship to lure PDP members into defection.
“We all know what is going on, hunger has been weaponised to push people into submission,” he said. “But we are confident that many of them will retrace their steps once they realise the difference between light and darkness.”
He attributed some of the recent exits to impatience among party members, particularly a few governors and lawmakers who were anxious about the timing of the convention.
“Some people just don’t want to wait,” Ogidi remarked.
“We’re only weeks away from the convention, yet some are already panicking because of court cases. If you’ve done the right thing, the court will always give you justice.”
Reassuring PDP supporters nationwide, Ogidi insisted that due process was being followed in all preparations for the national convention and that no amount of pressure would derail the party’s plans.
“We are not afraid, and we are not distracted,” he concluded.
“The PDP remains the only organised alternative to the current government, and Nigerians will soon see that clearly.”