The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Northern Elders Unity Forum has called on President Bola Tinubu to warn the Minister of State for Defence, Mohammed Bello Matawalle, about alleged attempts to lure PDP members into the All Progressives Congress (APC), particularly in Zamfara and Kaduna states.
The Forum accused Matawalle of using his influence and “excessive wealth” to force PDP supporters and party officials to defect to the ruling party, describing the move as a deliberate attempt to weaken the opposition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The National Secretary of the Forum, Dr Abbas Sadauki, made the allegation after a meeting with PDP elders from Kaura Namoda, Zurmi, Tsafe and Bungudu local government areas of Zamfara State.
According to him, Matawalle’s “desperate” efforts to dismantle PDP structures across the North West threaten the survival of democracy and fair political competition in the region.
“The minister is using his position and political appointments to destabilize our party and attract our loyal workers to the APC,” Dr Sadauki alleged.
“These actions create a vacuum in the opposition and undermine democratic values.”
He warned that continued poaching of PDP members could erode political diversity and harm Nigeria’s democratic growth.
“Dismantling opposition structures in any form does not bode well for our democracy,” he added. “President Tinubu should urgently call Matawalle to order before his actions destroy the democratic foundations built on equity, justice and national cohesion.”
Reports from Zamfara indicate that more than 24,000 PDP members, including several former executives and elders of six local governments, have defected to the APC in recent weeks.