•Tinubu and ADC logo
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has said that the recent defections of the governors of Enugu and Bayelsa States to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) confirm its long-held warning that President Bola Tinubu is determined to turn Nigeria into a one-party state.
The party made the accusation in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, describing the defections as a betrayal of the people and a dangerous sign for Nigeria’s democracy.
According to the ADC, while the defections might appear to strengthen the APC, they in fact represent a loss for democracy and a deliberate effort by the ruling party to weaken the opposition and consolidate unchecked power, reports Vanguard.
“The recent defections by the governors of Enugu and Bayelsa States to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) validate the African Democratic Congress (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,” Abdullahi said.
The ADC accused the defected governors of abandoning their citizens and aligning with a government that has, in its words, made life ‘miserable’ for the majority of Nigerians.
“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,” the ADC added.
The party stated that Nigerians are already experiencing the daily failures of the APC government, citing insecurity, economic hardship, and poor social welfare as evidence of misgovernance.
“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,” Abdullahi said.
He added that the Tinubu administration had failed in all major areas of governance, including insecurity, economic management, healthcare, anti-corruption, and foreign policy.
“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,” the ADC stated.
The party condemned the defected governors for what it described as an act of historic ‘political apostasy,’ saying they had abdicated their role as opposition leaders who should have defended the people and provided alternative solutions.
“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. Instead, they abdicated. And in an act of historic political apostasy, they chose to join the grand conspiracy against the Nigerian people,” the party said.
The ADC, however, maintained that the opposition coalition remains undeterred by the defections, insisting that the line between those fighting for national redemption and those pursuing selfish interests has become clearer.
“While the ruling party continues to celebrate the defection of these governors, the ADC and the opposition coalition are equally 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 ADC stated.
Abdullahi declared that the 2027 general elections would not merely be a political contest but a decisive struggle between the Nigerian people and what he called ‘Tinubu’s gang of governors.’
“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,” he said.
