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A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, Ladan Salihu, has criticised governors defecting to the ruling party, arguing that relying on President Bola Tinubu for political survival is neither new nor a guarantee of electoral success.
Salihu, also a former Director General of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, made the remarks today on Arise Television.
The comments come as several state governors continue to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Salihu said many governors now treat Tinubu as a “tin god” who can secure their political future, instead of trusting the support that first brought them to office.
He questioned the logic behind governors abandoning the parties under which they won elections convincingly, suggesting such moves are motivated by political calculations ahead of future polls.
“Let me say this, the history does not lie.
“We have political precedence when people defect from one party to another, chasing what they believe is the golden fleece, and it often crashes before our eyes.
“And you remember, at a point the PDP had about 28 governors or thereabout, and that did not stop the PDP from losing the election to the APC,” Salihu said.
The latest defection includes Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal, who formally left the PDP in early March, bringing the number of ruling party governors to 31.
Earlier this year, Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State and Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State also left for the APC.
There are also ongoing rumours that Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, who serves as Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, has concluded plans to defect from the party to the APC.
Salihu maintained that true political survival comes from the same forces and grassroots support that originally brought the governors to power, not from switching to the ruling party in anticipation of future elections.
“I often wonder, why should a governor, or governors, rush out of their parties where they won convincingly to join a ruling party?
“The answer is simple: governors tend to forget. Politicians of repute, when they win an election and the second stanza is beckoning, forget the Almighty God that first gave them the power.
“They have now adopted President Bola Tinubu as their own tin god. They believe he can give them power and a platform to win elections, ignoring the God you and I serve. I’m shocked and flabbergasted by the kind of politics we play,” he added.
