President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Presidency denies orchestrating defections; Minority Caucus vows legal and parliamentary action against what it calls a threat to democracy
Contrary to widespread speculation that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is masterminding the wave of defections of opposition governors and lawmakers into the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), a senior administration official has dismissed such claims, insisting that the President is not involved in the ongoing political realignments.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, explained that the defectors were joining the APC of their own volition, partly because of what he described as Tinubu’s fair and accommodating leadership style. According to him, the President has made no direct attempt to lure opposition figures, and many of them are aligning with the ruling party on their own.
“Even the politics that is going on now, Tinubu never reached out to anyone to defect to his party. They are coming themselves partly because he is very fair and nice to them,” the official stated.
The official, while defending the Federal Government’s performance in addressing insecurity, expressed concern that many state governments, despite receiving increased revenue since 2023, have not significantly contributed to tackling security challenges across the country.
“There is no state government in the country today that is borrowing money. This is happening for the first time, and they have excess funds,” he said. “That is why we need to put pressure on them to do more. The Federal Government has done its part; the rest is for the states. How well are they using what they are getting now?”
He added that following the withdrawal of fuel subsidy, states have seen their monthly allocations rise considerably, with none receiving less than ₦20 billion. He further emphasized that if local governments were allowed to access their funds directly, governance at the grassroots would improve significantly, reducing insecurity.
Meanwhile, the leadership of the House of Representatives Minority Caucus has expressed outrage over the spate of defections to the APC, accusing the ruling party of using state institutions and political pressure to destabilize the opposition and consolidate power within the National Assembly.
The latest round of defections has seen lawmakers from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), and the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) cross over to the APC, a development that has triggered sharp reactions from opposition leaders.
Minority Leader of the House, Hon. Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers), described the defections as “a shameful violation of constitutional principles,” warning that the opposition would take both legal and parliamentary steps to challenge the defectors.
“We cannot continue to sit and watch democracy being reduced to a game of survival for the highest bidder,” Chinda said. “The Constitution is unambiguous unless there is a division in a political party, no member has the right to defect and retain their seat. Anything short of that is illegal.”
In a similar tone, the Minority Caucus Spokesman, Hon. Victor Ogene (LP, Anambra), condemned what he called “a dangerous pattern of political manipulation,” accusing the APC of weaponizing state power to silence dissent and create a rubber-stamp legislature.
“These defections are not born out of ideological conviction but political intimidation and inducement. This deliberate erosion of opposition strength is an assault on democratic plurality and must be resisted,” Ogene declared.
He revealed that the opposition bloc plans to introduce a joint motion on the floor of the House to demand a formal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the defections and to uncover possible political inducements behind them. “We are not just fighting for party interest, we are fighting for the survival of multi-party democracy in Nigeria,” he added.
Hon. Dennis Agbo (LP, Enugu) also expressed disappointment, noting that many of the defecting lawmakers had emerged through a “youth-driven mandate” during the 2023 elections but had now “abandoned their ideals for political comfort.”
“This betrayal is not just against their parties but against millions of young Nigerians who believed in a new political culture. We are witnessing political prostitution of the highest order,” Agbo said.
Hon. Obi Aguocha (APGA, Abia) drew historical parallels, recalling that similar political absorption tactics were used in the pre-2015 era to weaken opposition structures. “What we are witnessing is history repeating itself, a drift toward hegemonic dominance that breeds corruption and poor governance,” he lamented.
Since 2023, the opposition in Nigeria has continued to weaken, with the PDP losing six governors and dozens of lawmakers to the ruling APC. In the National Assembly alone, at least 70 opposition legislators, including 16 senators and 56 members of the House of Representatives, have defected to the ruling party, while some state Houses of Assembly have followed their governors in mass movements to the APC.
As the political realignment deepens, concerns are growing over Nigeria’s democratic health and the integrity of its multi-party system. While the Presidency insists that Tinubu’s hands are clean, the opposition believes that the country is drifting toward a one-party state, a development that could have lasting consequences for democratic governance.
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