Politics

Why I Dumped PDP For APC — Iyabo Obasanjo

Published

2 months ago

March 6, 2026

Former senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello has said she joined the All Progressives Congress because members of the party were the only people who maintained contact with her during her over 15-year absence from active politics.

She stated this on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Friday.

Obasanjo-Bello said she had not been a PDP member since 2011, when she lost her Senate re-election bid and subsequently left for a leadership fellowship at Harvard University, after which she pursued a PhD.

“I have not been an active member or even a member at all of PDP since 2011. I do not see it as leaving one party to join another. I had no party,” she said.

She dismissed suggestions that her APC membership was driven by a desire to align with the ruling party, noting that she had left the PDP while it still held federal power.

“If I wanted to associate with a winner, I would have stayed in PDP then and continued. I could have lobbied for a federal appointment. I don’t see it that way,” she said.

She attributed her APC membership to personal relationships rather than political calculation, saying the people who reached out to her during her years away from politics were all in the party.

“The other part of it is that when I was away, the people that reached out to me, I was talking to are all in APC. I don’t think anybody in the current PDP as it is, or ADC as it’s trying to be, communicated with me or asked, how are you doing? So for me, that was the fundamental reason. It’s this, it’s really the fact that, yes, it’s all politics, but politics, people are still human beings.

“You need to care for people, you need to ask about them. We all need to, all human beings are self serving in some way, but also when you care about people, then they turn to you for, because I wasn’t lobbying, I guess that’s one thing I can say that nobody said, oh, you should join this or this will happen or you should join that.

“So it was a decision made from that personal reason that people reached out to me, they’re talking to me, not to lobby me, but just people, we care about you and we like you, we love you as a human being, how are you doing? ” she said.

Obasanjo-Bello, who s seeking the Ogun State governorship on the APC platform ahead of the 2027 general election, confirmed that she formally joined the APC after participating in the party’s e-registration exercise in Ibogun, Ward 11, Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State. She said supporters had urged her to return to politics for about two years before she made the decision.

She ruled out returning to the PDP, citing the party’s internal crises, and said she also considered the African Democratic Congress but was uncertain about its readiness ahead of the elections. She described the APC as her natural home.

Obasanjo-Bello had served as Ogun State Commissioner for Health under former governor Gbenga Daniel before winning a Senate seat representing Ogun Central in 2007.

She lost her re-election bid in 2011 to Gbenga Obadara of the Action Congress of Nigeria, after which she returned to the United States and pursued an academic career, rising to the rank of professor.

Politics

BREAKING: 17 ADC Reps Follow Join NDC

Published

5 hours ago

May 5, 2026

Editor

About 17 African Democratic Congress, ADC, lawmakers in the House of Representatives have defected to the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC.

This was disclosed by Speaker Abass Tajudeen on the floor of the House on Tuesday.

Tajudeen also announced the defection of Leke Abejide from the ADC to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Lawmakers who defected to the NDC include Yusuf Datti, Uchenna Okonkwo, Adamu Wakili, Thaddeus Attah, George Ozodinobi, Lilian Orogbu, Oluwaseyi Sowunmi, Peter Aniekwe, Mukhtar Zakari, George Oluwande and Munachim Umezuruike.

Others are Emeka Idu, Jesse Onuakalusi, Ifeanyi Uzokwe, Afam Ogene and Abdulhakeem Ado.

This comes barely a day after former presidential candidates Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso defected from the ADC to the NDC.

Obi and Kwankwaso have pledged to continue their pursuit for a better Nigeria in the NDC.

Politics

JUST IN: Why I left ADC For NDC With Kwankwaso – Peter Obi Opens Up

Published

1 day ago

May 4, 2026

Editor

A former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has given reasons why he resigned from the African Democratic Congress, ADC, to join the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC, alongside a former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso.

In a long post on X on Monday, Obi insisted it was not out of anger or ambition.

Rather, he said the move is a continuation of the quest to build a new Nigeria.

Obi wrote: “Yesterday, I formally joined the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), alongside my dear brother, Engr. Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, with one clear purpose: to continue the struggle for a new Nigeria built on justice, competence, accountability, and compassion for the ordinary Nigerian.

“As I stated yesterday, this decision was not made out of anger, personal ambition, or convenience. It came after deep reflection on the present condition of our nation and the urgent need to rescue Nigeria from the dangerous path it is currently heading.

“Over the years, I have remained steadfast in my conviction that politics should never be about individuals, positions, or personal gain. It must be about the people, especially the millions of Nigerians who today can no longer afford necessities, whose businesses are collapsing, whose children are losing hope, and whose future is becoming increasingly uncertain.

“I left the ADC for the same reason I left the Labour Party: the severe, orchestrated litigation and internal crises deliberately designed to ensure that I, alongside many other notable individuals, do not effectively participate in the electoral process. I sincerely appreciate and remain deeply grateful to the Leadership of ADC for the opportunity to work together in pursuit of a better Nigeria. I am particularly grateful to ADC Chairman Senator David Mark for his exceptional Leadership. I also deeply appreciate my Leader and elder brother YE, Atiku Abubakar, as well as other respected leaders within the party.

“As we join the NDC, I sincerely appeal to the Nigerian Government against the encouragement of unresolved litigations and the infusion of crises within political parties. Democracy must never become a weapon against the people. A healthy democracy thrives on strong institutions, credible alternatives, and the freedom of citizens to make choices without intimidation, manipulation, or fear. Opposition parties must not be weakened or destroyed, because when democracy loses balance, the people ultimately suffer.

“Nigeria today is passing through one of the most difficult periods in its history. Poverty is rising. Hunger is widespread. Insecurity continues to threaten lives and livelihoods. Businesses are shutting down daily. Our young people are becoming discouraged, and many citizens have lost faith in the system. At a time like this, leadership must be driven not by propaganda or division, but by competence, capacity, character, and compassion.

“Our decision to join the NDC is therefore not an abandonment of values, but a continuation of the same mission we have always stood for: building a Nigeria where leadership is about service, where public resources are managed responsibly, where institutions function independently, and where every Nigerian, regardless of tribe, religion, region, or social status, can live with dignity, security, and hope.

“I remain committed to working with all Nigerians of goodwill across political, ethnic, and religious lines. The task before us is bigger than any individual or political party. It is about the future of our children and the survival of our dear nation.

“I thank Nigerians, especially our youths and women, for remaining peaceful, resilient, and hopeful despite the enormous challenges confronting the country. I urge you not to lose faith in Nigeria. Nations do not change because people surrender to hopelessness; they change because people continue to believe, continue to sacrifice, and continue to stand for what is right.”

Politics

Peter Obi, Kwankwaso Formally Join NDC, Warn Members Against Litigation

Published

2 days ago

May 3, 2026

Editor

Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has warned party members to steer clear of any form of litigation that can plunge the party into chaos ahead of the 2027 elections.

Speaking in Abuja on Sunday after he was formally joined the party alongside the former governor of Kano State,

Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso , the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party(LP), urged members to embrace dialogue in the interest of the party

“Please let there be no litigation. Party members, please don’t go to court. We want to build a party, we are not lawyers,” he pleaded.

The two political figures were received into the opposition party on Sunday at its national secretariat in Abuja.

Earlier, Obi had announced his exit from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), while Kwankwaso had indicated he was engaged in “wide-ranging consultations” with the NDC.

The National Chairman of the party, Cleopas Moses Zuwoghe, presented membership cards to both leaders at the event.

Speaking afterwards, Kwankwaso said their engagement with NDC stakeholders was driven by a shared vision and ideological alignment.

“We came to discuss with stakeholders of the party and found that our ideologies and beliefs are largely the same,” he said.

He urged Nigerians to register with the NDC ahead of the deadline for party membership registration, stressing the need for broader participation in the political process.