Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has described the wave of political defections in Nigeria as a distraction from the deeper crisis affecting citizens, the persistent scourge of hunger and poverty.
In his bi-monthly newsletter released Thursday, Makinde emphasized that the only defection that truly matters is when economic hardship exits the lives of ordinary Nigerians.
He argued that while the nation remains fixated on political maneuvering and cross-carpeting, families are battling real-life challenges that demand urgent attention.
“Everyone is talking about which politician is switching parties. But what about hunger? When will it switch sides and leave the people alone?” Makinde asked.
He referenced recent high-profile defections, especially by PDP governors moving to the APC, and said the media frenzy around them is missing the point.
“Political analysts are busy dissecting handshakes and silences. But I’ll be impressed when hunger defects to the APC,” Makinde said, reiterating comments he made during a recent press conference.
He warned that the growing inequality and economic despair in Nigeria pose a far greater threat than party politics.
According to him, Nigerians are being forced into “impossible daily choices,” a situation that must take precedence in national conversations.
Makinde noted that political gamesmanship cannot distract from the fact that many Nigerians are barely surviving.
“Hunger, not political affiliation, is what fuels hopelessness and anger. That is what we need to defeat,” he said.
Makinde stated that the PDP must rise to the challenge by becoming a platform that offers real solutions to economic hardship.
He stressed that Nigerians, not politicians, will ultimately determine the outcome of the 2027 general election.
“Forget the pundits. It’s the people who vote, and they remember when life was better when salaries mattered and hope was real,” he said.
“Our mission must be to rebuild that trust.”
He also pointed to the party’s upcoming national convention in Ibadan, describing it as a critical moment to reset priorities and reassert the PDP’s values.
Makinde urged Nigerians not to give in to despair, emphasizing that economic suffering is not permanent but it will take collective awareness and engagement to change the narrative.
“Let others defect for comfort or gain. We must remain rooted in conscience,” he wrote. “When hunger finally defects, then will come prosperity and with it, dignity.”
In closing, the governor cautioned that politics must never lose sight of the human cost of its decisions. He criticized policies that ignore the daily struggles of Nigerians, stressing that governance must serve people, not statistics.
“Every economic policy that makes life harder brings someone closer to poverty,” he said.
“Politics should be about lifting people up, not pushing them down.”
