The Lagos State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has strongly refuted claims that its political structure has collapsed following the defection of its former Publicity Secretary, Hakeem Amode, and others to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a statement released on Tuesday by the PDP State Secretary, Soji Orioye, the party maintained that it remains “strong, intact, and fully operational” despite the exit of a few individuals.
Amode and several others were received into the APC by the party’s 2023 governorship candidate, Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran, popularly known as Jandor. The high-profile welcome stirred speculations of a mass exodus from the PDP and a potential dismantling of its structure in Lagos State.
Amode had claimed during his defection, “We have decided to collapse the entire PDP structure in Lagos State, from ward to the state level.”
In response, Orioye dismissed the statement as “laughable” and “comic,” insisting that Amode no longer had any significant role in the party and was unqualified to make such assertions.
“The attention of the State Executive Committee has been drawn to social media reports and videos of the defection of Alhaji Hakeem Amode and others to the APC, where they were received by Jide Adediran (Jandor). As much as politics is about interest, and those involved have followed their interest to the APC, we wish them well in their sojourn,” Orioye stated.
He added, “However, the claim by Amode that they have collapsed the PDP structure in the state is laughable and can only be described as a comic remark.”
According to the PDP, Amode had long distanced himself from the party, failing to attend meetings and abandoning his official role to serve as campaign publicity secretary.
“We wonder how someone who hasn’t attended a meeting in a long while understands the party’s structure, not to talk about collapsing it,” Orioye said.
He further accused Amode and his allies of betraying the PDP during the last general elections, suggesting that their return to the APC signals a reunion with their “paymasters.”
Despite the defections, Orioye affirmed that the PDP remains active and is set to field candidates across all wards and councils in the upcoming July 12, 2025 local government elections.
“One may ask, can a party whose structure has supposedly collapsed be fielding candidates across all levels for an election? The answer is clear,” he stated.
He urged PDP members and supporters to stay focused and committed, assuring them that the leadership is working to rebuild the party into a formidable political force in Lagos.
While extending goodwill to the defectors, Orioye advised them to exercise caution in their public comments about the PDP.
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