Leadnaija
A former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kola Ologbondiyan, has stirred debate over party loyalty and coalition politics, asserting that PDP members can remain in the party and still align with a broader political coalition aimed at unseating the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
Ologbondiyan, speaking during an interview on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television programme on Tuesday, drew parallels with the position of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.
Despite Wike’s continued membership in the PDP, he serves in President Bola Tinubu’s APC-led cabinet and has openly declared support for Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.
“If Wike can stay in the PDP and work with the APC, we can also stay in the PDP and join the coalition,” Ologbondiyan stated, highlighting what he described as a new political reality where party affiliations are increasingly fluid.
His comments come amid intensifying discussions within opposition ranks about forming a united front to challenge the APC in the next general elections. The coalition reportedly aims to bring together elements of various opposition parties — including those still operating within the PDP framework.
Ologbondiyan also raised concerns over the increasing pressure being mounted on some PDP governors to defect to the APC, accusing the ruling party of using intimidation and coercion.
“The PDP governors are being harassed. They are being humiliated and, whether they can openly say it or not, they are being forced to abandon their party,” he alleged.
The recent political reconciliation effort between President Tinubu, Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State — who is currently under suspension by the PDP — and Minister Wike, was cited by Ologbondiyan as a strategic victory for the APC.
He acknowledged that Tinubu’s intervention in the lingering Rivers political crisis not only weakened PDP’s standing in the state but also reflected a growing influence of the APC in traditionally opposition strongholds.
While dismissing claims that internal PDP crises are solely responsible for the party’s instability, Ologbondiyan maintained that external interference and targeted political pressure have created a hostile environment for opposition figures.
