The Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, has defended the recent wave of defections by opposition governors and other elected officials to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), insisting that there is nothing wrong with the development.
Speaking in Abuja last week, Umahi said political party affiliation allows for freedom of entry and exit, stressing that defection is a legitimate democratic right.
The former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governor of Ebonyi State noted that opposition parties had enjoyed similar moments of dominance in the past and should therefore desist from complaints.
“There is nothing wrong with defections. Political association allows free entry and free exit. Opposition parties also had their time,” he said.
Umahi also defended the Senate’s clearance of ambassadorial nominees, dismissing criticisms that the screening process was inadequate.
According to him, the screening of presidential appointees falls squarely within the constitutional prerogative of the Senate, which has the authority to determine its procedures.
Asked whether he saw anything wrong with the manner in which the Senate cleared the nominees despite public criticism, Umahi replied, “No, I didn’t see anything wrong.”
On the defection of opposition governors to the APC, the minister said the decisions were voluntary and largely influenced by the performance of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the ruling party.
He dismissed claims of inducement or coercion and rejected fears that the trend could lead to a one-party state.
Umahi cited the example of the Governor of Abia State, who is his cousin and has not defected to the APC, as evidence that no governor is being forced to join the ruling party.
“There is no pressure on anyone. The fact that my cousin, the Governor of Abia State, has not defected shows clearly that governors are acting on their own convictions,” he said.
Reacting further to the twin issues of ambassadorial screening and political defections, Umahi reiterated his support for the Senate’s actions.
“The Senate did a good job by clearing the ambassadorial nominees. When the PDP enjoyed defections in the past, nobody complained,” he added.
