Why opposition lawmakers are joining APC

The Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, has said that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is not coercing lawmakers into defecting from opposition parties.

He said recent defections to the ruling party, including those of three senators from Kebbi State on Tuesday, were voluntary and reflective of lawmakers’ recognition of the APC’s political agenda and governance direction.

Mr Bamidele said this during Tuesday’s plenary in response to the criticism by some Nigerians and opposition parties that President Bola Tinubu and the APC are plotting to turn Nigeria into a one-party state.

“We are not at the polls. No one is being coerced,” Mr Bamidele said. “If anyone would be coerced, definitely it is not the Senator Adamu Aliero that I know and that all of us know. It is not Professor Yahya Abdullahi that would be coerced by anyone, nor is it Senator Maidoki who had also made a mark in the private sector before he ever ventured into politics.

“They are not in politics so that they could feed, and as far as we are concerned, the Professor Yahya Abdullahi that I know would rather stay in opposition and be very loud, and more Nigerians will probably even celebrate him doing that. But they recognise the fact that this is not the time for grandstanding. This is the time for all of us to work together to take Nigeria to the next level,” he said.

PREMIUM TIMES reports that during Tuesday’s plenary, three senators from Kebbi State defected from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling APC. The senators are Adamu Aliero, representing Kebbi Central Senatorial District, Yahaya Abdullahi, representing Kebbi North Senatorial District, and Garba Maidoki, representing Kebbi South Senatorial District.

About a week ago, Kano South Senator Kawu Sumaila left the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) for the APC. He, like the other defectors, said his reason was the unresolved leadership crisis in his party.

Many members of the House of Representatives from opposition parties have also defected to the APC, especially from Delta and Kebbi states.

The defections have further widened the gulf between the number of APC lawmakers and those of the opposition, with the ruling party now having almost two-thirds of Nigeria’s lawmakers, up from a little more than half after the 2023 general elections.

Critics have argued that the defections were a deliberate strategy by the APC to consolidate power and weaken checks on executive authority.

Some opposition members have also been vocal in their criticism. The embattled PDP National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu, recently stated that President Tinubu’s administration was steadily dismantling opposition space, warning that the country was being steered toward a one-party system.

Similarly, former Vice President and PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar accused President Tinubu of not allowing multi-party democracy to thrive.

This is democracy in action

Mr Bamidele, however, argued that the shifting political alignments are part of democratic freedom, not authoritarian tactics.

“This is part of the beauty of democracy. But before anything, let me remind all those who are insinuating on the largely unregulated social media that the President of the country, His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, is working with his party, the APC, to turn Nigeria to a one-party democracy.”

Mr Bamidele added that Nigeria’s current political space calls for unity and collaboration beyond party lines to address critical developmental challenges.

“We were all in this country when the Peoples Democratic Party was a ruling party, and we saw all manner of things that happened at the polls, in an attempt to get more states, more senatorial seats, more House of Reps seats, and so on and so forth.”

Rejects Rubber-stamp allegations

The senate leader also addressed accusations that the Senate under Godswill Akpabio has become a rubber-stamp institution, serving only to legitimise executive actions without critical engagement.

“And I say it again for the umpteenth time. Those who refer to this parliament as a rubber-stamp parliament should note that we are at a very critical stage of our national life when all hands must be on deck.

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“And today, it is not about what political party you belong to. We say it every time that once we are in this hallowed chamber, it will not matter what party you belong to. What will matter to you is overriding public interest, and in the course of collectively serving overriding public interest, three of our eminent colleagues also saw the need to cross the aisle and come to the ruling party.

“All three of them are from Kebbi State. One of them had been privileged to be governor of Kebbi for eight years. He had been privileged to serve as honoruable minister and is a most ranking member of this Senate. One of them has served as the leader of this Senate in the Ninth Assembly. These are people who know what they are doing. They can never mislead the people of Kebbi State. They can never mislead Nigeria, and I just want to say that for us in the APC, this is a very wonderful development.”

Mr Bamidele assured minority lawmakers of cooperation and mutual respect, stressing that the APC remains open to all Nigerians regardless of background.

“And for all those who are so keenly watching political developments, be rest assured that at the end of the day, this can only be for the good and greatness of Nigeria. And to the rest of our colleagues on the minority aisle, I just want to say once again, distinguished Senator Abaribe, be rest assured that we will continue to work together. As far as we are concerned, part of the conditions under which our party, the APC, was registered by INEC, like every other political party, is that we will not close our doors to anyone intending to join the party.

“And I will not discriminate against anyone, either on the basis of religion or tribe or any other factor. Our doors will continue to be open to more people to join at all levels. And in the meantime, we will continue to also work with the members of the minority party.”