EVINCE UHUREBOR examines stakeholders reactions to the gale of defections by members of the opposition political parties to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)
A s the wave of defections continue to grow louder, several Nigerians have expressed concerns over the emergence of a one-party state, with opposition leaders decrying what they describe as an orchestrated attempt to weaken Nigeria’s democratic balance.
Recall that on October 14, Governor Peter Mba of Enugu State defected from the PDP to the APC alongside the members of the State Executive Council. Barely 24 hours later, another PDP governor, Douye Diri of Bayelsa State, resigned from the party. Several senators and members of the House of Representatives have also, before now, defected to the APC from the PDP, Labour Party (LP) and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP)
Nobody’ll capture a state through defection –Obi
Reacting to the development last week, LPs presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Mr. Peter Obi, said the ongoing defections by state governors in the South-East will not guarantee the political capture of the zone. In a statement by his media team, Obi explained that Nigeria is currently a democracy, not under military rule, where states could be “captured.”
He added that the people will ultimately decide where to go, not governors or senators, and no party will capture or win any state just because it has a governor.
Speaking specifically on the defection of Enugu State governor and APC’s alleged move to capture the South-East for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election, Obi said: “Peter Mbah is a good friend of mine. And I believe that as governor, he must have taken his decision based on his own political views and calculations.
I remain firmly with PDP –Dickson
In his reaction, former governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Seriake Dickson, said he was not part of Governor Diri’s move from PDP to APC. Vowing to remain in the PDP, he said that he is committed to defending Nigeria’s multiparty democracy. He insisted that the PDP remains the only party that had provided the Niger Delta with genuine political inclusion at the national level.
Dickson, who spoke with journalists in Abuja, described the defection as “sad” and “ridiculous,” warning that the growing trend of politicians abandoning opposition parties for the ruling APC is undermining Nigeria’s democratic pluralism. He said: “I remain where I have always been, in the PDP. I do not believe Nigeria should be a one-party state.
As a soldier of democracy, I am used to the ups and downs of political life. I remain steadfast in the PDP, working with colleagues to ensure that the problems in the party are solved. “I hope the governors and the leadership who created the mess in our party, instead of showing leadership, will now take responsibility. It is very sad. It makes Nigeria look small and makes our democracy look ridiculous.”
The senator decried what he called a culture of political opportunism among Nigerian politicians, contrasting it with Ghana’s more stable democratic experience. “In Ghana, when President Mahama lost election, he stayed in his party. When Akufo-Addo’s party later lost, they stayed. President Mahama contested again, won, and was congratulated by his opponent, even before the final tally. That’s democracy,” he said.
Defections not healthy for democracy -Ex-minister
A former Minister of Aviation, Dr Hassan Hyat, on his part, said defections do not bode well for Nigeria’s democracy. The former chairman of the PDP in Kaduna State lambasted PDP governors for defecting to APC, saying they have betrayed their oath of office. According to them, the governors, by defecting, have abandoned the covenant they had with the people.
He added that posterity will not be kind to those responsible for the crisis in PDP, noting that future generations will remember their actions. However, he accused the APC government of being responsible for the crisis in the opposition parties, adding that it is coercing opposition leaders to join it. “If the President Bola Tinubuled government says it is popular, why is it instigating the crisis in opposition parties and forcing people to join his party?” he asked.
Battle line for 2027 has been drawn – Atiku
Also reacting through his media aide, Paul Ibe, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar noted that while the constitution upholds citizens’ freedom of movement and association, the spate of defections signals that the battle line for the 2027 elections has been drawn.
His words: “The constitution provides for freedom of association. As a democrat, Atiku Abubakar will not dictate to others with whom they associate. Atiku Abubakar may not know the underpinning factors behind why people are making different decisions.
“However, we know for a fact that the Tinubu-led APC has used institutions of the state, including anti-corruption agencies, to intimidate and coerce leaders of the opposition into their fold.
“What is playing out clearly is that a battle line has been drawn. It is Nigerians, long suffering, impoverished, poor citizens who can barely afford to make ends meet, feed their families, send their children to school, or access basic primary healthcare, who will ultimately determine the outcome of 2027. “The battle line has been drawn. Nigerians are aware of what is playing out.
All of these defectors do not have the people’s interest at heart. What they are doing is to preserve and protect their own interests, not those of the people. The battle line is drawn. And people may mock the ADC and say, ‘you don’t have governors, you don’t have senators.’ “Rhe good news is that ADC has the people.
And these are the people that the Tinubu administration and all of its tendencies seek to make life worse for by the day. They can hardly afford to make ends meet. We have them. We have those people. And those people are going to be the determinants. “They will decide the outcome of the next election. So, like I said clearly, the battle line has been drawn between Nigeria, between good and bad.”
Defectors driven by selfish interest – Tanko
National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Yunusa Tanko, in his reaction said those defecting to the APC are driven by selfish interest. “None of these people who are actually defecting are doing so based on personal convictions. Either they are being coerced or they are trying to protect their seats, knowing full well that the next elections may not be based on credibility or the people’s will.
“It will be heavily manipulated and violently induced because of the modus operandi of the present holder of the office. What you are seeing is not the will of the people; it is rather the intimidation and manipulation of the current holders of office.
“To them, that is politics, but to us, it is a distortion of our democratic essence. But they should remember that the government is in the hands of the people. They are watching, and they are listening. They will take their pound of flesh in 2027,” Tanko said.
Defection won’t guarantee victory –Ameh
A former National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) and General Secretary of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), Chief Peter Ameh, who also spoke on the issue, said defections will not guarantee political survival in the 2027 general election. Ameh described the development as driven by fear, not faith in governance.
According to him, such moves reflect a growing lack of confidence among political elites in the democratic process and the electoral commission’s ability to conduct free and fair elections.
“I am not surprised by the defections or the speculation surrounding others planning to cross over to the APC. What surprises me is how many of our political elites still believe that joining the ruling party is the only path to survival. This is because they have failed to serve the people genuinely,” he said.
Defections driven by desperation –Okeke
A Political Science lecturer at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Dr Christian Okeke, described the wave of defections as acts of desperation for political survival and self-interest, rather than genuine service to the people.
He however said the development is fast becoming an embarrassment and a sad reflection of Nigeria’s democratic development, as it suggests that some political leaders are more concerned with securing re-election than addressing the pressing needs of citizens.
“It is unfortunate that governors are already thinking about the next election rather than focusing on solving the problems confronting the people. Ordinarily, they should have been preoccupied with delivering results and allowing their performance to speak for them during the next polls.” He said.
More PDP governors to quit party –Fayose
Meanwhile, a former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has claimed that three more governors elected on the platform of the PDP will soon dump the main opposition party.
According to him, the opposition party may soon be left with only five governors as internal crisis continues to plague its ranks. “There are three more governors that will leave soon. There will be five remaining. The five remaining, one of them will struggle to get the ticket, and they all know that the ticket is an ordinary tissue paper.
Wike teases defectors
Also reacting, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, said the mass defection of PDP leaders and governors to the ruling APC has justified his support for President Tinubu as those who once criticised him are now members of the APC.
Wike said some of the governors had previously criticised him for destabilising the PDP and working for the APC, adding that the governors should rather commend him for “doing a good job” of paving the way for them to join the ruling party.
“I have been watching people who said I want to destabilise the party and that I am working for the APC. All of them are now in the APC. So, they should commend me for working where they are heading to. I should be commended for doing a good job for them,” he said.
