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The Pen and the Podium: Why I Dumped the PDP for the APC

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 The Pen and the Podium: Why I Dumped the PDP for the APC



By Dr. Yinka Folahan

Team Arapaja


Politics and literature are deeply intertwined; both hold a mirror up to society. As a Yoruba writer, scholar, and published playwright, I have frequently used historical narratives to analyze modern governance.


The authorship of stage plays like Agbekoya, Restless, Oshodi, and The Kings Must Die serves to critique power, challenge oppression, and echo the silent yearnings of the masses. Today, however, the critique moves from the theater stage to the political podium. My decision to dump the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ibadan North for the All Progressives Congress (APC) is a direct response to a system that has lost its democratic soul.


This defection is backed by years of navigating Nigeria’s complex political terrain. Having served in critical leadership capacities—including a tenure as a factional State Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Oyo State and a Caretaker Committee Chairman for the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP)—I deeply understand the inner workings of party structures. From defending authentic party executives against "political jobbers" to identifying President Bola Tinubu’s national vision as a rallying point for Southwestern progress, my journey has always been guided by ideological consistency. When the PDP strayed from foundational democratic principles, the choice to move to the APC became an act of political preservation.


Politics is an art of loyalty, structure, and leadership. My decision was heavily influenced by the political trajectory of Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, the former Deputy Governor of Oyo State and outgoing PDP National Deputy Chairman (South). When a political heavyweight of Arapaja’s caliber declared the Oyo PDP "practically defunct" due to Governor Seyi Makinde’s exclusionary leadership style, it provided the strategic blueprint for a massive exodus. Following "Team Arapaja" into the APC became the most logical path toward securing genuine representation and protecting the collective interests of the Ibadan electorate ahead of the 2027 general elections.


In the vibrant landscape of Oyo State politics, few events shake the foundation of a constituency like the strategic realignment of its core mobilizers. The decision to exit the PDP in Ibadan and join the APC is not merely a change of a party logo; it is a calculated response to a systematic breakdown of internal democracy, grassroots alienation, and structural high-handedness. For a true political stakeholder, every decision must align with the progress of the people. When a party stops being a vehicle for the masses and begins to operate like a private enterprise, true leaders must look for an alternative platform.


The drift away from the Oyo State PDP was ultimately catalyzed by a flagrant disregard for the party’s rank-and-file. During critical electoral periods, including the recent Ibadan North Federal Constituency bye-election, the state leadership increasingly opted for the forced imposition of consensus candidates. By shutting down fair primaries and silencing the popular will of the constituency, the party administration alienated those who built its foundation. I refuse to belong to an enterprise where grassroots voices are discarded behind closed doors. The APC now stands as the only viable path to pursue true representation, and it is under this banner that we will continue to fight for the progress of Ibadan North and Oyo State at large.

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