The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has said that governors defecting to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have betrayed the people who elected them into office.
The party described the wave of defections involving governors and lawmakers from opposition to the ruling party as part of APC’s plan to turn Nigeria into a one-party state.
The ADC’s position is against backdrop of Wednesday’s defection of the Governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri from PDP to APC.
The Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, had barely 24 hours earlier, similarly defected from the PDP to the ruling party, taking with him all members of the Enugu Sate House of Assembly and other elected and appointed officials.
Recall that the Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori and that of Akwa Ibom State, Umo Eno, had dumped the PDP for the APC much earlier in the year.
Speculations are rife that two other PDP governors, Agbu Kefas (Taraba State) and Dauda Lawal (Zamfara) will also be defecting to the APC anytime soon.
In a statement by the spokesman of the ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party the defections are part of the plans by the APC to turn Nigeria into a one-party state.
The party said with their recent defections, Governors Mbah and Diri have betrayed their long-suffering people and joined the gang-up against Nigerians.
Describing the development as “political apostasy,” the ADC said it was not bothered, because the 2027 elections will be a contest between the people of Nigeria and the ruling party that has sent the majority into abject poverty and made life unbearable for most.
“The recent defections by the governors of Enugu and Bayelsa States to the ruling APC, validates the ADC’s long-standing warning that President Bola Tinubu is determined to turn Nigeria into a one-party state, no matter the cost to democracy or national stability.
“While it may seem like the APC has added more governors to its column, in reality, what has happened is these governors have actually abandoned their people to team up with the ruling party that has made life miserable for the majority.
“Nigerians can see the current state of the nation. They live through the APC’s failures every single day. Even those who once campaigned for the APC or had its logo on their social media profiles now avoid association with the party.
“Why? Because the Tinubu administration has failed on insecurity, failed on economic management, failed on healthcare, failed on social welfare, failed on corruption, and failed to restore Nigeria’s standing in the international community.
“Every day, Nigerians are paying the price for these failures. Food prices continue to increase, jobs are non-existent, and insecurity continues to choke every part of the country.
“When the ruling party has misgoverned the country, the only hope for the people in a democracy is for the opposition to rise up in defence, propose alternative ideas, and lead the people out of their misery.
“This is what Nigerians expected from these governors in opposition. Instead, they abdicated. And in an act of historic political apostasy, they chose to join the grand conspiracy against the Nigerian people.
“They abandoned their people, not out of conviction but out of cowardice and other selfish considerations,” the party said.
The ADC noted that while the ruling party continues to celebrate the defection of these governors, opposition parties are delighted that the line has been made even clearer; between those who are committed to saving the country and those who merely want to join the gravy train.
“The people can see, and they are waiting. 2027 will be a clear battle between the people of Nigeria and President Tinubu and his gang of governors in the APC.”
