The Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has declared that it will not allow the All Progressives Congress to intimidate voters in the 2027 general elections, insisting that the era of political bullying in the state is coming to an end.
The state chairman of the party, Abayomi Tella, made this known while speaking on preparations ahead of the next general elections.
He accused the ruling party of relying on violence, intimidation and coercive tactics to win elections in the past, including the 2023 general elections and the recent Remo Federal Constituency by election.
Tella said the PDP was now better organised and prepared to protect its supporters and voters, stressing that the party would no longer tolerate any attempt to manipulate the electoral process through fear or force.
According to him, “The days when the APC could intimidate opposition parties during elections are over. Whatever they bring in 2027, we are ready to match it because we now have the people solidly behind us. Their shenanigans are over, and the 2027 election is going to be between APC and Nigerians, not even against PDP or any other party.”
He maintained that although the APC often projects itself as having a monopoly of power and violence, the PDP would not be deterred, noting that the party remained committed to democratic values.
“There is no monopoly of violence, but as democrats, we will ignore violence because we believe the people are behind us, and they will vote for us. In 2027, PDP is coming stronger to counter APC’s violent methods,” he said.
The party chairman also dismissed claims that defections from the PDP to the APC had weakened the opposition in the state.
He argued that moving to the ruling party was no longer attractive, adding that many defectors had ended up politically irrelevant.
“It is no longer enviable for a politician to cross from PDP to APC because most of our members who have gone there have become onlookers. When the members of the party were working for their victory, the defectors were not there, so they are still treated as outsiders,” Tella stated.
Speaking further on the condition of the party, Tella said the PDP had remained resilient despite years of internal and external challenges. He described the party as deeply rooted and capable of surviving any attempt to weaken it.
“As far as I’m concerned, PDP is here to stay. The party can never die. If you try to kill it today, it will resurrect tomorrow. We are making frantic efforts to keep our people together,” he said.
He added that the party leadership was focused on strengthening internal unity, consolidating its grassroots base and ensuring members remained aligned ahead of the 2027 elections, expressing confidence that the PDP would emerge stronger in the next political cycle.
