Babangida Aliyu, the former governor of Niger State, warned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) regarding the potential consequences of welcoming back former members who have previously left the party.
Gatekeepers News reports that at the PDP consultative conference held in Abuja on Wednesday, Aliyu described these individuals as “nomadic politicians,” suggesting that their defection has contributed to ongoing internal conflicts within the party.
He noted that many candidates who emerged from the recent convention in Port Harcourt were, in fact, defectors from other political platforms.
Aliyu attributed the PDP’s persistent challenges to a lack of discipline among its members and the prioritization of personal ambitions over the party’s collective objectives.
“Both the chairman and the chairman of governors’ forum have been very diplomatic and saying, ‘come back, come back’,” he said.
“No, you don’t invite nomadic politicians back to your party. These were people with a history of nomadism.
“We cannot keep on, knowing that the black sheep in the family keeps on destroying whatever we are building. And then you say, ‘come back’. In fact, the most shocking time period was 2019.”
He emphasised the need to reward loyal party members instead of defectors who frequently switch alliances.
Aliyu reminded members that the PDP constitution requires returning defectors to “join the queue”.
He called on the party to embrace “real, principled politics,” even if such an approach did not guarantee immediate electoral wins.
Umar Damagum, acting national chairman of the PDP, said the party is suffering because members have disregarded ideals in favour of personal ambition.
Damagum described the internal wrangling in the party as “self-inflicted,” saying he hopes those leaving the party will “rediscover” themselves and return.
The PDP national chairman also cautioned members against demarketing the party and affiliating with another political group.
