A torrent of high-profile defections from opposition parties to Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has sparked fierce backlash, with critics accusing President Bola Tinubu’s administration of weaponizing public funds and anti-corruption agencies to engineer a one-party state. Opposition leaders warn that the APC’s rapid expansion fueled by governors, lawmakers, and executives jumping ship signals an impending implosion, while APC officials dismiss the claims as sour grapes from disorganized rivals.
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The defections, which have accelerated in recent months, mark a seismic realignment in Nigeria’s fractious political arena. Key figures crossing over include Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno, Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, and former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) vice-presidential candidate Ifeanyi Okowa. Momentum peaked last month: on October 14, Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah publicly declared his allegiance to the APC, shortly after members of his state executive council defected en masse. The following day, Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri resigned from the PDP, fueling speculation of an imminent APC switch. By midweek, Taraba State Governor Agbu Kefas confirmed his own move to the ruling party, joining a wave that has ensnared numerous lawmakers and local politicians.
Opposition spokespersons allege foul play, claiming the influx is less about ideological appeal than arm-twisting through state coercion. Debo Ologunagba, national publicity secretary of the PDP the largest opposition party described the APC as a “multipurpose political vehicle” on the brink of self-destruction. In an interview with Sunday PUNCH, he said: “This is the major political party [PDP], and it is the only democratic party in the country… The APC are jittery, and that is why they are coercing our members using state resources and state agencies.”
Ologunagba predicted a swift reversal, expecting defectors to return to the PDP’s robust grassroots structure before the 2027 elections. “We are optimistic that… many Nigerians will join us because this is the truly democratic party and the only party that is out there to protect their interests,” he added, framing the PDP as the unshakeable bedrock of Nigerian democracy.
Echoing these concerns, Oladipo Johnson, spokesperson for the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), described the defections as a “serious threat” to democratic pluralism. “This is bad for democracy. For our type of democracy, it is important to have a proper and effective opposition,” Johnson told Sunday PUNCH. He drew parallels to the PDP’s own 16-year rule, which ended amid internal fractures and mass exits. “Over time, it imploded, and many of those who joined it turned against it… I see that happening to the ruling APC,” he said, attributing the churn to Nigerian politicians’ “personal interests” rather than conviction. Johnson cautioned against naivety about a one-party drift, noting: “Nigeria can never truly be a one-party state. Even if only one party exists, it will become factionalized, with different interests and power blocs.”
The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) struck an even sharper tone. Mark Adebayo, its coordinator, labeled the pattern a “deliberate and strategic effort to entrench a one-party dictatorship,” orchestrated from the presidency. “Whether these defections are forced or coerced, one thing is clear: it is an intentional action driven by the ruling party,” Adebayo said. He criticized the defectors’ lack of principles, arguing: “Their only motivation is proximity to power,” and warned of broader perils: “This development is unhealthy for our democracy… It poses a grave threat to our political stability.”
These voices converge on a shared prognosis: the APC’s house of cards could collapse, either upon losing power or through inevitable infighting among opportunistic newcomers unmoored from ideology.
The APC, however, remains unfazed, portraying the defections as organic endorsements of President Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope” agenda. Bala Ibrahim, the party’s director of publicity, rejected coercion claims outright in a Sunday PUNCH interview. “The APC does not coerce anyone to join. Those joining are doing so willingly because of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope achievements,” he said.
Ibrahim highlighted the APC’s institutional resilience as a stark contrast to opposition disarray. “Our party has been conducting primaries successfully and rancor-free… The fact that the opposition is not organized and cannot conduct primaries does not mean we are on the same boat with them,” he said, dismissing implosion fears. He emphasized the party’s “well-structured” framework, poised to absorb newcomers without fracturing.
With 2027 looming, the question remains: will these shifts consolidate Tinubu’s grip, or hasten a backlash that revives multiparty vigor?
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