Date: 2013-12-26

Members of the new Peoples Democratic Party, nPDP, in Kwara State who defected to the All progressives Congress, APC, may return to the party, but that will be only if President Goodluck Jonathan would agree to their demands.

A member of the PDP in Kwara, Alhaji Alabi Olorin, an old politician in Ilorin who once contested against the late Dr. Olusola Saraki in the defunct National Party of Nigeria, NPN, before becoming his disciple was of this view yesterday in a chat with newsmen in Ilorin.

Alhaji Olorin said that it was unfortunate that President Jonathan and other national leaders of the party allowed the PDP to “depreciate,” adding, “The party is sinking and about to die.”

He added: “The PDP used to be the strongest party in Africa and commanded the largest followership across the country, but from the look of things, the party is depreciating rather rapidly.

“I don’t blame the governors and members who have defected because they have their reason. I would only blame Mr. President for allowing the matter to degenerate. As the national leader of the party, he would have made some sacrifice to retain these governors.

“The influx of members of the PDP into the APC is no doubt a misfortune for the PDP. Just yesterday (Tuesday), some members from Kaduna State, Vice-President Namadi Sambo’shome state, also moved en masse to the APC and what does that tell you? It means that things have degenerated in the PDP and the party is on the verge of collapse.”

He noted that there is hope for the PDP in Kwara State, but that would be dependent on if President Jonathan would reconcile with Saraki and other aggrieved chieftains of the party, saying: “In Kwara State, PDP is nowhere to be found again.”