Another PDP storm brews as Senator Jarigbe meets Tinubu, APC leaders ahead of defection

A new wave of political defections appears imminent within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as Senator Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe of Cross River North reportedly met with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and key leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of his formal move to the ruling party.

Sources close to the senator confirmed that Jarigbe visited Aso Rock Villa earlier this week to officially inform President Tinubu of his intention to join the APC.

His spokesperson, John Agom, in a statement on Wednesday, said the senator also met with APC Cross River State Chairman, Alphonsus Eba, where he declared his readiness to work with the party’s leadership to strengthen its presence in the northern senatorial district.

According to Agom, Senator Jarigbe has begun mobilising other prominent political figures from the PDP to align with the APC in what is expected to significantly reshape the political landscape of Cross River North ahead of the 2027 elections.

“My people should be assured that defecting to the ruling party will not stop me from empowering the constituents and embarking on people-oriented projects to alleviate the sufferings of the zone,” Jarigbe said.

He added that regular consultations with local stakeholders would continue, promising that “better days lie ahead” for his supporters.

The senator’s defection follows a string of recent exits from the PDP, including that of Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri, intensifying speculation about deeper cracks within the opposition party as the 2027 polls draw closer.