Opposition political parties, especially the Peoples Democratic Party, the New Nigeria Peoples Party, and the Labour Party, are bleeding as some of their prominent members have dumped their platforms for the ruling All Progressives Congress.

Concerned by the wave of defections to the APC, the PDP, NNPP, and the Coalition of United Political Parties have accused the APC-led Federal Government of exploiting state resources to coerce their members and other politicians into switching allegiance to the ruling party.

In response, the APC welcomed the defectors, dismissed the claims from the PDP and NNPP as unfounded, asserting that politicians are willingly joining the party because of the significant achievements of President Bola Tinubu?s Renewed Hope administration.

Recall that an exclusive report by The PUNCH on February 18 revealed that over 300 PDP members defected to the APC between February 2024 and February 2025, citing internal conflicts within the party at both the state and national levels as the main reason for their departure.

Likewise, the NNPP and Labour Party have also experienced a notable wave of defections to the APC, with many members pointing to internal disputes and other related issues as their reasons.

On Wednesday, Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, his predecessor and PDP?s 2023 Vice Presidential candidate Ifeanyi Okowa, along with all party members in the state, officially defected to the All Progressives Congress.

The announcement was delivered in Asaba by Senator James Manager following a marathon meeting that lasted over six hours at the Government House.

Manager stated, ?All PDP members in the state, including the governor, former Governor Okowa, the Speaker, the state party chairman, all the local government chairmen and others, have agreed to move to the APC.

?We cannot continue to be in a sinking boat,? he said.

The Delta State Commissioner for Information, Aniagwu Charles, formally confirmed the governor?s defection, along with the unified decision of Delta PDP leaders and stakeholders to join the APC.

?There is a need for us to adjust the drinking pattern. And in adjusting that drinking pattern, we needed to make a decision that would further help to cement the development in our state, to build the court of law that has existed in our state, to further advance the cause of security and the welfare of our people, and, to a large extent, ensure that development in Delta is not truncated,? Aniagwu stated.

He added, ?In taking that decision, we concluded that leaving the PDP was very necessary for us to be able to collaborate and build a state that every Deltan will be proud of. We believe that what is happening, and the state of the PDP, is akin to that palm wine whose taste has changed ? and there was a need for us to change the drinking party.?

Charles stated that the decision was reached unanimously by party leaders and stakeholders, indicating that an official public announcement would be made soon.

?By the grace of God, on Monday next week, we will be able to make a very big statement confirming that we are moving into the APC,? he said.

Also, the Senator representing Kano South Senatorial District, Kawu Sumaila, on Wednesday officially confirmed his defection from the NNPP to the ruling APC.

His clarification, which was contained in a statement via his Facebook page, ended weeks of intense political speculations over his future in the NNPP.

The Senator hinged his decision to quit on the need to be fully committed to his constituents, which he claimed remained his first priority.

The statement read, ?Yes, it is true ? the rumours regarding my defection are accurate. All politics is local, and my primary concern has always been, and remains, the welfare of my immediate constituency.

?I am resolutely determined to advance the lives of my people, ensuring their needs are met and their future is secured.?

His exit has also fuelled rumours that the leader of the Kwankwasiyyan Movement and former presidential candidate of the NNPP, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, may return to the APC.

In another related development, a long-serving member of the House of Representatives, Oluwole Oke, announced his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party.

Oke, who represents Oriade/Obokun Federal Constituency, Osun State, announced his resignation in a letter dated April 16, 2025, addressed to the Chairman, PDP Ward 7, Obokun Local Government Area.

The letter read, ?I wish to formally notify you that I am resigning my membership of the Peoples Democratic Party with immediate effect.

?This was concluded after consultation and engagement with my political associates, family and friends.

?It is my wish that you accept my resignation in good faith.?

The letter was copied to the National and Osun State Chairmen of the party.

In a brief telephone conversation with our correspondent, the lawmaker, who appeared to be in no mood for an interview, anchored his decision on the division in his party.

?PDP is divided,? he said, without further elaboration.

Similarly, the Special Adviser to Governor Monday Okpebholo on Political Mobilissation and Engagement, Eugene Utubor, stated on Wednesday that LP Senator, Neda Imasuen, is on the verge of defecting to the All Progressives Congress.

Utubor, who met with Imasuen on Tuesday night in Benin, said the lawmaker open to joining the APC and that efforts are underway to strengthen the party?s ranks both nationally and in the state.

He said, ?I can tell you that Senator Neda Imasuen will join the All Progressives Congress in the coming days. I was with him on Tuesday and his body language speaks volume.

?Imasuen believes that the governor has done remarkably well in such a short time and it is crucial that we come together to ensure the success of his vision for our people.

?He has encouraged every well-meaning Edo citizen to rally around the governor as he works diligently for our collective progress.?

In recent times, Imasuen is often seen in public functions alongside notable leaders of the APC in Edo State. He is said to enjoy cordial relationship with members of the ruling party in the state.

In addition to the recent defections, several prominent figures had earlier joined the APC. These include former Kaduna State Governor Muktar Ramalan Yero; Senators Shehu Sani, Suleiman Hunkuyi, and Sylvanus Ngele; former Senate President Pius Anyim; ex-Edo Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu; House of Representatives member Suleiman Gumi; and PDP founding member Shuibu Oyedokun. Others are Senator Ned Nwoko (Delta North), Omosede Igbinedion, Kabiru Classic, Salisu Garba and Abuja Municipal Area Council chairman Christopher Maikalangu.

From the NNPP, Yusuf Galambi, who represents Gwaram federal constituency in Jigawa, has also defected to the APC. He is joined by several local government chairmen, councillors, and party officials. Key NNPP leaders, including Senator Sulaiman Kawu Sumaila (Kano South), Kabiru Alhassan Rurum, Ali Madaki, and Hon. Badamasi Ayuba, have met with APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje and are expected to make their defection official soon.

With the 2027 elections approaching, multiple sources indicate that three PDP governors and NNPP National Leader Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso have struck a deal with President Tinubu and are likely to join the APC in the near future.

One of the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, said, ?Based on their actions and silence, as well as the way some governors have openly praised President Tinubu?s administration, it?s clear that a few of them are likely to join the APC soon. I wouldn?t be surprised if the governors of Adamawa, Taraba, Akwa Ibom, and even the NNPP National Leader, Rabiu Kwankwaso, eventually defect.?

In response, PDP Deputy National Youth Leader Timothy Osadolor criticised the recent defections from opposition parties to the APC, saying they serve personal interests rather than the nation?s good.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with The PUNCH, Osadolor claimed the APC offered nothing positive and alleged that many of the defectors were coerced through intimidation using state machinery.

He said, ?Well, for some of us, it?s not strange. If you recall, I have always spoken about the weaponization of state institutions to intimidate and cow opposition parties. The result is the wave of defections you?re referring to. The last time anyone made a statement, you saw the EFCC, ICPC, or DSS going after that individual.

?There is nothing good happening in APC. The APC has influence over key state institutions, and those who cannot withstand the pressure or the embarrassment that comes from being investigated by these institutions often give in. In this country, when you?re invited by the EFCC or ICPC, you?re practically condemned before you?re even tried.

?People fear the stigma?the shame of having to explain things to their families, their children, their friends. That?s a trauma many want to avoid. They can?t handle it. And because of that fear, they give in. No one wants to be treated like a criminal when their conscience is clear. Some just want to avoid being dragged around like others have been.

?The APC government coerces many politicians using the EFCC, ICPC, and other state apparatus, and those who cannot withstand the pressure end up leaving their parties for the APC in search of protection.?

Also commenting, the National Publicity Secretary of the NNPP, Ladipo Johnson, stated that politicians who defect to the APC do so for personal gain rather than for the benefit of Nigerians.

In an exclusive interview with The PUNCH, Johnson alleged that the ruling party employs a carrot-and-stick strategy to lure members of opposition parties into its ranks.

He stated, ?I think it?s clear to us. Over time, we?ve seen that the ruling party at the center likes to use the carrot-and-stick approach where possible?just to drive membership to themselves.

?Those who allow themselves to be treated in that manner?well, we wish them well. But again, it is politics, and people, for selfish interests or personal interests, will sometimes cross the carpet and work with the ruling party?or a party in government.

?There are various reasons for that. But none of the reasons is to improve the lot of Nigeria. It depends on each individual situation. That?s when you can tell the reason why a particular person or group has done what they?ve done. Some are forced by the ruling party to join them, some will tell you they?ve been pushed by the party they originally belonged tto.But some will tell you they?ve done a deal or they want to save their seat in the House of Assembly, House of Reps, Senate, etc.

?So, there are many, many different reasons why these things happen.?

CUPP National Secretary, Peter Ahmeh, described the wave of defections from opposition parties to the APC as disgraceful.

In an interview with our correspondent, Ahmeh voiced confidence that the coalition would oust President Tinubu and all the defectors in the 2027 elections.

He said, ?It is a shame, the day is the mandate manipulators? day, and oppressors? day, and undemocratic day. We can call it all sorts of names, but it is a shame. People no longer believe that the people?s mandate should be protected at all costs.

?They are now using the people?s will for negotiation?to hide from the EFCC, negotiation for a second-term ticket. And that?s why we keep telling you?that?s why this coalition is going on.

?And that?s what?s going to happen in 2027. The like minds will come together. There will be strong alliance and coalitions to drive this focus. But also, there will be a consensus among the Nigerian people. And I see that consensus sweeping away, APC, President Tinubu and these defectors.?

In response, the APC welcomed the defectors and promised a level playing field for everyone.

In a statement on Wednesday, APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka said the defectors were ready to make significant contributions to the success and implementation of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu?s Renewed Hope Agenda.

The statement read in part, ?The National Working Committee of All Progressives Congress under the leadership of Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, is highly elated by the decision of the Governor of Delta state, His Excellency Sheriff Oborevwori, to join our great Party, along with eminent leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, including former Governor of Delta state and vice presidential candidate of the PDP in the 2023 presidential election, His Excellency Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, senior administration officials, leaders and members of the House of Assembly, local government chairmen and councilors in the state, and teeming leaders and members of the PDP.

?Our great Party welcomes this important development, and assures the Governor and incoming leaders and members of Delta PDP of our fullest cooperation and accommodation in the APC family.

?With this move, coming on the heels of steady decamping of PDP leaders and members across the state to APC, including members of Delta Unity Group in Ika federal constituency, we are delighted that Delta state, now an APC state, stands poised to contribute maximally to the success and realization of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and to the enduring good and prosperity of Deltans and all Nigerians.?

Also, the APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Duro Meseko, dismissed the allegations made by the PDP and NNPP as outright falsehoods.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with The PUNCH, Meseko stated that individuals are joining the APC of their own volition, driven by their belief in President Tinubu?s Renewed Hope Agenda, which he said is positively transforming the nation.

He said, ?It is very simple. Nigerians that are trooping into the APC are no fools. They are Nigerians who have seen the patriotic duties of President Bola Ahmed, especially the Renewed Hope Agenda that is working wonders now.

?They have seen that for Nigeria to get out of the woods, we need to take some very, very difficult decisions, which we have done. And we have already seen the results. I need not go through the list of achievements in that regard. Exchange rates are stabilizing. A lot of things are working. Even the fuel price that people are talking about has come down two or three times, infrastructure development is happening all over the country.

?When you see somebody that is performing, when you see somebody that is working, that?s why they are coming to APC. And more will still come. It?s not because of anything else. You heard Akwa Ibom Governor, he said, ?Look, this man is working for us; he?s helping us.? Especially in our state. He drew attention to the Lagos?Calabar highway, and so on and so forth. People are happy.

?These are things that we have not experienced before, and they are now seeing it. They are now seeing that this thing is working. They are now seeing that the fiscal discipline of this administration has no match. Before, we were printing money to stabilize our forex markets, but that?s no longer happening. All the money we are saving from all of these efforts has been plowed into the productive sectors of the economy?including support for the vulnerable, student loans, scholarships? everything is there for all to see.

So, for anybody to say that security people are threatening them, and that?s why they are now jumping into the party?it?s nothing but a political lie. This is far from the truth. Let me give you an example. Are you telling me, for instance, that the EFCC is also not working on some APC former governors? So why would EFCC be prosecuting APC governors if what they are saying is true? So, it is not true.?

Moreover, APC Publicity Director, Bala Ibrahim, criticized the PDP and NNPP for lacking constructive criticism, lamenting that the opposition consistently refuses to acknowledge any positives in the ruling party.

In an exclusive interview with The PUNCH, Ibrahim stated that Nigerians are increasingly joining the APC because it offers equal opportunities for everyone.

He said, ?Now, in democracy, elections are supposed to be like sports. It is a competition where there has to be a winner. And once a winner emerges, the leadership is expected to concentrate on governance. Politicking is supposed to be put aside, and all hands should be on deck with a view to moving the country forward.

?Unfortunately, some don?t play democracy as democrats. They play democracy with destructive criticisms, such that everything done by the ruling party in power is seen negatively.

?There is just no way you can say in this dispensation that people are being coerced, or that the EFCC is being used to haunt or twist people into joining the party in power. People have committed all sorts of crimes, but they are prosecuted through the statutory provisions of the law. Nobody is telling you to join the party and charges against you will be dropped. Or nobody is framing charges against someone simply because he is in the opposition.

?I think the opposition needs to have a re ? think. Let them come out with something that can be accepted, something that can fly. But, this is one administration that is not witch-hunting and is not coercing. People are continuously trooping into the APC because they have seen it as a party that is providing a level playing field for people who have aspirations or ambitions to deliver. And if anybody is qualified to contest, he is welcome into the party. But nobody is forced.?

Former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Olabode George, wondered why the party governors would defect to the ruling party, which he described as ?unorganised.?

?I am shell-shocked,? George said. ?How can our governors from an organised party defect to an unorganised party like APC with only two people ? Tinubu and Ganduje ? dictatorially controlling the party?

?APC is a party of strange bed-fellows and I urge Deltans not to follow Oborevwori to APC because Delta is a PDP state from 1999 and it shall remain so.

?Presidency and APC are using instruments of state to coerce PDP governors to defect to APC. They are being threatened. PDP sponsored Oborevwori as governorship candidate. So, he has to leave office. Attempts to turn Nigeria to a one-party state will fail. What has APC done since 2015 that will warrant any PDP governor to defect to the party?? (The PUNCH)

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