The National Organizing Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Umar Bature, has attributed the recent wave of defections from the opposition party to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to personal interests rather than internal party challenges.

Speaking on Monday, Bature dismissed suggestions that party issues were responsible for the exodus, insisting that defectors were primarily motivated by individual ambitions and potential personal gains.

"Nobody is leaving the party because of internal party issues; it's purely personal interests," Bature stated. "They believe that after the Edo election, anything can happen. If they're in the APC, they think the government will perform some 'magic' to ensure they win the election. That's all."

Bature was responding to reports that the APC has been enticing opposition members with promises of automatic tickets for the 2027 elections and lucrative government contracts.

Legal Consequences for Defectors

The PDP organizing secretary issued a stern warning to defecting lawmakers, particularly members of the National Assembly, stating they could face severe legal repercussions for their actions.

According to Bature, all PDP lawmakers had sworn affidavits to the party before contesting elections, and the party is prepared to challenge their defections in federal high courts.

"They will hear from us, and from the courts. I can assure you they won't escape accountability because they all swore affidavits to the party before contesting," he warned.

"If they defect, they'll lose their seats. We don't need to go to the assembly. We'll trigger the process at the federal high courts," Bature emphasized.

The PDP has been experiencing a series of high-profile defections in recent months, with several lawmakers and party stalwarts crossing over to the ruling APC as political maneuvering intensifies ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Political analysts view these defections as part of the usual realignment of forces that characterizes Nigerian politics as another election cycle approaches, with politicians often seeking to position themselves advantageously regardless of party ideologies.