Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has stated that Nigeria’s most significant defection is yet to happen, the “defection of hunger and poverty” from the nation.
In his bi-monthly newsletter released on Thursday, Makinde noted that while the media is abuzz with news of recent defections of some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nigerians should rather be concerned about when economic hardship will “defect” from their lives. He stressed that true progress will only begin when the nation’s citizens experience relief from hunger.
“I am sure many of you have been following the recent defections of politicians, especially the governors who have left the PDP for the APC and other parties,” Makinde wrote. “With these defections, political pundits have been busy reading meanings into every handshake and silence. I have watched as our national conversation once again turns to who is moving rather than what is moving.”
The governor emphasised that the real defection that matters is hunger, lamenting that while political movements continue to make headlines, ordinary Nigerians are still struggling to survive. “When I was asked about this wave of cross-carpeting in a recent press conference, I said I would only be moved when hunger defects into the APC. I meant every word of it,” he said. “Families are being forced to make impossible choices daily. These are the real issues, not political realignments.”
Makinde highlighted that growing inequality and economic hardship are eroding hope across the country, insisting that “it is hunger, not partisanship, that fuels despair.”
He added that only Nigerians themselves — not politicians or party mergers — will determine the outcome of the 2027 general election. Makinde urged the PDP to focus on rebuilding trust by providing real solutions to the worsening economic conditions.
“No matter what the analysts predict, it is the Nigerian people who will decide the 2027 elections. Our job in the PDP is to prove we can deliver relief where others have brought pain,” he stated. “Nigerians remember when salaries had value, when businesses could plan, and when hope was not an illusion. Our task now is to rebuild that trust and restore the PDP as a platform that prioritises people over politics.”
Makinde described the PDP’s upcoming national convention in Ibadan as more than a routine gathering, calling it an opportunity for the party to “reset and reassert its values.” He encouraged citizens not to lose faith, assuring that hunger and deprivation would eventually give way to prosperity if Nigerians remain resolute and refuse to normalise hardship.
“Let others defect for convenience; let us stand firm for conscience. When hunger finally defects, prosperity will return, and so will our pride as a people,” the governor added.
He concluded by emphasising that governance must always serve the people, warning that any policy detached from the realities of hunger, joblessness, and loss of dignity is “not worth defending.” “Economic decisions are not about numbers,” he said. “Every decision that takes money out of people’s pockets moves them closer to poverty. My belief is that our politics must serve humanity.”
What You Should Know
Seyi Makinde, the Governor of Oyo State and a leading member of the PDP, is known for his pragmatic and people-centered approach to governance.
His latest remarks reflect growing frustration among citizens over economic hardship and political distractions.
By framing hunger and poverty as the true “defections” Nigeria must confront, Makinde repositions the national conversation toward policies that directly impact ordinary Nigerians rather than elite political movements.
