������Ƶ

•Says Atiku or Wike’s loyalists may defect

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

Immediate past National Publicity Secretary of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Kola Ologbodiyan, has predicted implosion of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) following the defection of Malam Nasir El-Rufai, who recently resigned from the ruling party and joined the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

Ologbodiyan also said the faction loyal to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar or the camp loyal to former governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, might leave the PDP.

On March 10, El-Rufai dumped APC for SDP following his criticisms of the ruling party and President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

In a statement announcing his resignation from APC, the former governor of Kaduna State said the party had castrated its organs and treated its membership with contempt.

Reacting to El-Rufai’s defection, Ologbodiyan, while appearing on Arise Television’s “The Morning Show,” maintained that the ex-governor’s defection would trigger a crisis in the party.

He said, “There will be an implosion in President Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s party, the APC, and anybody in doubt of that should look at what has happened with El-Rufai’s resignation.

“El-Rufai is a founding machine in the All Progressives Congress, and if a founding machine can leave the party, you can imagine what’s going to follow.”

But as PDP struggles to resolve its own lingering crisis, Ologbodiyan urged the media to embolden opposition parties, adding that the culture of silence should not be encouraged.

“Let us find a way to embolden the opposition because without opposition there is no democracy,” he said.

On the proposed coalition, Ologbodiyan said PDP had not decided on the matter, but added that the party would align with other parties to strengthen the opposition.

He added that a faction from Atiku or Wike would join the proposed coalition.