A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, Ladan Salihu, has said the recent wave of governors defecting to the ruling All Progressives Congress does not guarantee the party victory in the 2027 general elections.
Speaking in an interview on Arise News monitored by The News Chronicle, Salihu argued that the growing defections reflect political pressure rather than genuine support, insisting that the ruling party is increasingly uneasy about the rising profile of the ADC.
According to him, “the fear of the ADC is the beginning of wisdom for the APC,” alleging that efforts are underway to weaken the opposition party.
“As we speak, the country’s democracy is on life support. Nigeria is facing bad governance,” he said.
However, the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Felix Morka, rejected claims that Bola Tinubu is coercing state governors to defect to the ruling party.
Morka maintained that the wave of defections is a reflection of confidence in the administration’s leadership and policies.
“It is mischievous to suggest that governors are joining the APC under duress,” he said. “They are moving to the ruling party because it is offering what parties like the ADC, Peoples Democratic Party, and the Labour Party failed to provide.”
He added that many governors who recently aligned with the APC cited the president’s non-discriminatory leadership style as a major factor behind their decision.
“The ADC has focused largely on attacking the APC without presenting concrete solutions to Nigeria’s challenges,” Morka said, noting that criticism must be accompanied by workable alternatives.
On electoral reforms, the APC spokesman clarified that while the ruling party holds majority seats in the National Assembly of Nigeria, it does not single-handedly determine legislative decisions, including amendments to the Electoral Act. He said the removal of direct primaries affects all political parties and should not be interpreted as a move targeted at the opposition.
Reacting to the same issue, Salihu accused the National Assembly of acting in the interest of the ruling party, claiming it functions more as an extension of the APC than an independent legislature.
He also dismissed claims of internal crisis within the ADC, stating that the party remains united and would soon unveil policy strategies aimed at tackling poverty and the country’s long-standing insecurity challenges.
