The Lagos State Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hakeem Amode, has officially defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), citing the collapse of internal structure and leadership failures within the PDP.
Amode, alongside several other prominent PDP figures, announced their defection at a press conference held on Monday in Ikeja, Lagos. The group pledged their allegiance to the APC, following the footsteps of the 2023 PDP governorship candidate, Abdul-Azeez Adediran (Jandor), who had earlier joined the ruling party.
Addressing journalists, Amode said the decision to leave the PDP came after careful deliberation and was aimed at realigning with a political movement capable of delivering effective governance. He accused the PDP of straying from its founding ideals and described it as a party in “a coma.”
“The PDP in Lagos has lost direction. From the ward to state level, we have decided to collapse the PDP structure and align with Jandor in the APC,” Amode stated. “We are not doing this for personal gain but out of a deep sense of responsibility to better serve our constituents.”
He further attributed the party’s decline to internal disunity and what he called poor leadership under the current state chairman, Philip Aivoji.
“We have submitted our resignation letters to our ward and local government chairmen as well as the state leadership. This marks a new chapter for us,” he said.
Amode, a long-time member of the PDP, noted that many of the defectors had served the party in various roles and worked for change over the years but had now chosen to “chart a new course.”
Other notable defectors included former state PDP deputy governorship candidate Safurat Abdulkareem, former Deputy State Chairman Chief Ola Apena, and several 2023 PDP House of Assembly candidates such as Ibrahim Balogun (Kosofe 2), Keshinro Abiodun (Epe 1), Akeem Jinadu (Eti-Osa 1), and others from constituencies across Lagos.
Speaking on behalf of the defecting candidates, Balogun expressed regret over his long stay in the PDP, saying, “I wasted 18 years in the PDP. We are now fully with the APC and ready to support President Tinubu in 2027.”
Jandor, who welcomed the defectors, said their move signifies the complete dismantling of the PDP in Lagos.
“There’s no point staying in a party that has no will to win. The PDP has been reduced to a mere social club. For over two decades, its leadership has ensured consistent failure,” he said, declaring the party a “sinking ship.”
Other former PDP leaders who joined the APC include Prince Rufus Adeniyi (former PDP Assistant State Organising Secretary, Lagos West), Mr. Jerry Afemikhe (former House of Reps candidate, Surulere I), and Pastor Gbenga Ogunleye (former media aide to Jandor).
