Contrary to speculations that President Bola Tinubu is orchestrating the wave of defections by opposition governors and lawmakers to the All Progressives Congress (APC), a senior government official has dismissed such claims, insisting that the President has not influenced anyone to join the ruling party.
The clarification comes amid rising concerns over the continued exodus of opposition politicians, which has significantly weakened parties like the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), and New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) since 2023. Reports indicate that at least six opposition governors and about 70 federal lawmakers — 16 senators and 56 members of the House of Representatives — have defected to the APC.
Several reasons have been cited for the defections, including the desire of politicians to align with the central government to access federal benefits, seek protection from anti-corruption agencies, or improve their chances of securing re-election.
However, the top administration official maintained that Tinubu has not initiated or encouraged any defection. According to him, many politicians are voluntarily joining the ruling party because the President has been “fair and accommodating” to all political players.
“President Tinubu never asked anyone to defect to his party. They are coming on their own, partly because he has been very fair and nice to them,” the official stated.
He added that while the Federal Government has intensified efforts to address insecurity nationwide, state governments have failed to complement these efforts despite receiving higher revenue allocations since the removal of fuel subsidy.
“There is no state in Nigeria receiving less than N20 billion monthly since the subsidy removal,” he said. “If state governments are serious about good governance, insecurity will drastically reduce. The Federal Government has done its part — it’s time for states to do theirs.”
Meanwhile, opposition lawmakers in the House of Representatives have condemned the defections, accusing the APC of using state power and political pressure to weaken the opposition and dominate the legislature.
Speaking on behalf of the Minority Caucus, Minority Leader Hon. Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers) described the defections as “a shameful violation of constitutional principles,” vowing that the opposition would pursue all legal and parliamentary actions to challenge them.
“The Constitution is clear — unless there is a division in a political party, no member has the right to defect and retain their seat. Anything outside this is illegal,” Chinda declared.
Minority Caucus Spokesman Hon. Victor Ogene (LP, Anambra) also criticized the trend, calling it “a dangerous pattern of political manipulation” and accusing the APC of “weaponizing power to silence dissent and create a rubber-stamp legislature.”
“These defections are driven not by ideology but by political intimidation and inducement. It’s an assault on democracy and must be resisted,” Ogene said.
He revealed that opposition lawmakers are preparing to move a joint motion on the House floor, calling for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the defections and alleged inducements.
“We are not only defending our parties — we are defending Nigeria’s multi-party democracy,” he emphasized.
Hon. Dennis Agbo (LP, Enugu) lamented that many defectors had betrayed the youth mandate that brought them to power in 2023. “This is political prostitution of the highest order. They’ve abandoned their ideals for comfort,” he said.
Similarly, Hon. Obi Aguocha (APGA, Abia) warned that the current situation mirrors the pre-2015 era when the ruling party absorbed the opposition to consolidate power.
“What we are witnessing is a slide toward one-party dominance — a move that weakens accountability and deepens corruption,” Aguocha cautioned.
