Bayelsa Rep Agbedi Raises Alarm Over Rising Political Defections

A member of the House of Representatives representing Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal Constituency, Fred Agbedi, has expressed concern over the growing wave of political defections in the country, warning that the trend could weaken democratic values and undermine party loyalty.

Agbedi, who recently declared his intention to contest the Bayelsa West Senatorial seat on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said Nigeria is gradually becoming a “flip-flop society” where politicians switch parties without ideological commitment or resolve to confront internal challenges.

Speaking during an interview with journalists in Yenagoa, the lawmaker said many politicians defect out of fear of internal party struggles and uncertainty, arguing that leaders should stay back and resolve disputes rather than abandon their platforms.

“It would be wrong to say that I wouldn’t be worried. But the solace is that Nigerian democracy has been fraught with defections. You can see people migrating. They can even migrate to 10 parties within a day. That is what our democracy has become,” he said.

“For those who decided to leave the PDP, it was the fear of the unknown. For some who left, they felt that they are not made to take a battle. They are not made to take a fight.”

Agbedi insisted that political actors must develop the discipline to withstand internal party crises instead of changing political allegiance whenever tensions arise.

“When you find yourself in an organization and there’s a challenge, stand up to the challenge and deal with it. If not, wherever you go, you might find a similar challenge and you have no choice but to run again,” he said.

The federal lawmaker also spoke on the lingering leadership crisis within the PDP in Bayelsa State, dismissing claims of factional leadership and insisting that the Solomon Agwanana-led structure remains the legitimate leadership of the party.