Amid the wave of defections from opposition parties to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule has clarified that the party’s objective is to become dominant, not to turn Nigeria into a one-party State.
Speaking to State House Correspondents on Tuesday after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Sule emphasized the APC’s commitment to Nigeria’s multiparty democracy.
“We don’t even want Nigeria to be a one-party state. We just want to be the dominant party,” Sule said.
“If we can win 90 percent of the votes, that’s okay. The other parties can have 10 percent. It’s not about sarcasm—I’m being serious with you.”
The governor, who described President Tinubu as both party leader and national leader, dismissed concerns that the influx of defectors into the APC would stifle political opposition.
“No matter how successful we are, there are people who are going to be in another party,” he said.
“Even in America, you have Republicans, Democrats, the Green Party, and others. Nigeria can’t be different.”
Sule attributed the growing appeal of the APC to the reform policies implemented by the Tinubu administration, including fuel subsidy removal, exchange rate unification, and power sector reforms.
“Every reform comes with its ups and downs, but the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages,” he said.
“People are returning to the party because they are happy with what they see.”
Highlighting achievements in Nasarawa State, Sule said the State now hosts the highest number of mini-grids in the country, thanks to progress in agriculture and mining.
He also revealed that Nasarawa is set to commission a new lithium processing plant, three times larger than the first one launched last year, with additional lithium and tantalite processing facilities expected to become operational before the end of the year.
“We are beginning to see more and more development of lithium and other minerals. Investors are coming because Nasarawa is peaceful and business-friendly,” he added.
