Seyi Makinde has once again reminded Nigerians that politics means nothing if hunger still rules the land, in his usual calm but sharp tone, the Oyo State governor mocked the current wave of political defections, saying the only defection that truly matters is when hunger finally “crosses carpet” out of Nigeria. His remark came after a number of PDP governors switched to the APC, stirring fresh political gossip. For Makinde, all that drama is noise, what Nigerians really need is food, jobs, and stability.
The Politics of Hunger
Makinde’s words hit a raw nerve because they reflect what ordinary Nigerians face daily. People are not talking about who defected from PDP to APC, they are talking about how to afford food. He called out politicians who treat party changes like national achievements while citizens can’t even afford basic things. According to him, real change will only come when poverty, not people, defects from the country.
Hunger Doesn’t Belong to Any Party
What makes Makinde’s statement sting is that it cuts across political lines. Hunger doesn’t care if you wear APC, PDP, or LP colours, it bites everyone. The governor’s message was simple, until hunger and hardship leave Nigeria, all the noise about defections is empty. When he said he would only be moved “when hunger defects,” it wasn’t just sarcasm, it was truth served with humour. And it worked. It got people talking about what really matters: survival.
Beyond Defections and Empty Promises
In a season where politicians are switching sides faster than power changes hands, Makinde is trying to pull the focus back to governance. He reminded his party, the PDP, that Nigerians no longer want big grammar, they want real solutions. He said what people need is not more handshakes between politicians but real hope, salaries that make sense, food that’s affordable, and a system that works.
A Voice in the Noise
Whether people like Makinde or not, he has mastered the art of saying what others avoid. He called on leaders to put conscience before convenience, urging them to face the hunger crisis head-on instead of pretending that defections are national progress. He spoke like someone who knows what it means for citizens to be tired, not of politics, but of suffering.
Makinde ended his message with hope, that one day, hunger will truly “defect” and prosperity will return. But until that happens, he believes every leader should focus less on party loyalty and more on feeding the people.
