Ahead of the 2027 presidential elections, cross-party negotiations have intensified with the ruling All Progressives Congress courting opposition governors with high-states offers.

This came as the development sparks anxiety in the camps of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, the People?s Democratic Party and the New Nigeria Peoples Party, and others.

Several sources from the opposition and the ruling All Progressives Congress confirmed to The PUNCH that former governors are being promised ministerial positions, while current governors have been assured of return tickets, the opportunity to choose their successors and nominate National Assembly members.

Unsettled by the turn of events, Atiku warned the opposition leaders that backing Tinubu?s re-election bid is equivalent to endorsing failure, urging them instead to support his coalition aimed at ousting the APC-led Federal Government.

The PDP spokesperson, Debo Ologunagba and NNPP?s Ladipo Johnson, claimed their members were pressured to switch to the APC, using state power.

Ologunagba insisted that ?Tinubu will face the people?s judgment in 2027,? and defectors won?t shield him from defeat.

In response, the APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru and Publicity Director, Bala Ibrahim, dismissed the claims, stating that Nigerians are willingly joining the APC, which they said remains open to welcoming more members while safeguarding their interests.

The PDP, NNPP, and LP have been grappling with internal crises, leading to the defection of several members to the ruling APC. Many of those who left cited unresolved party issues as their reason.

On April 23, Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, alongside his predecessor and PDP?s 2023 vice-presidential candidate Ifeanyi Okowa, as well as other elected officials from the state, officially joined the APC.

Similarly, Akwa Ibom Governor Umo Eno, after endorsing President Tinubu for a second term, hinted on April 29 that he may soon leave the PDP.

According to sources close to the development, former Akwa Ibom State governor Udom Emmanuel informed his loyalists that Eno was no longer a member of the PDP.

A source at the last PDP governors and ex-governors meeting in Abuja, said, ?When Udom was speaking, he was asked about the Akwa Ibom State Governor, and he confirmed that the governor had left the PDP. He said the serving and former governors should proceed with their plans without Eno. He confirmed that the Akwa Ibom State governor had joined the APC out of fear of losing the 2027 election due to federal influence. Udom stated that Eno will make his departure official soon, but he himself will not leave the PDP.?

Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance has also publicly backed Tinubu?s re-election bid.

According to further findings, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State is one of the opposition govs being wooed to join the APC.

The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, last Tuesday held a closed-door meeting with the Adamawa governor for over four hours in the Government House, Yola.

Journalists were ordered to leave the venue of the meeting shortly after the NSA?s arrival.

Multiple sources close to the meeting told The PUNCH on the condition of anonymity that the closed-door discusssion was centred on getting Fintiri and his cabinet members to defect to the APC.

?The governor was offered a chance to produce his successor and to nominate candidates for National Assembly members. He is also to choose to be a minister or a senator in 2027,? he said.

The source said that the move was designed to mar the political ambition of former VP Atiku.

After the closed-door meeting, the culture of briefing journalists after such meetings was not observed.

Ribadu moved straight to his waiting vehicle and headed back to the airport.

When contacted on the agenda of the meeting, the Chief Press Secretary to the Adamawa State Governor, Mr Wonosikou Humwashi, said, ?I can?t say anything about the meeting, because I was not part of the meeting; it was a closed-door meeting, so I cannot say what exactly happened at the meeting.?

Since Ribadu was appointed the NSA, this was the first time he was holding a closed-door meeting with the governor, even though there are no serious security challenges in the state, unlike Benue and Plateau states.

Reports suggest that prominent NNPP figures like Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Kano Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, Taraba State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri and Plateau Governor Caleb Mutfwang are also quietly supporting Tinubu?s 2027 ambition.

The wave of defections has also rocked the National Assembly with several lawmakers shifting their allegiance to the ruling APC.

The trend has further solidified the party?s influence within the federal legislature.

NASS is made up of 109 Senators and 360 members of the House of Representatives. At the beginning of the 10th Assembly, under the leadership of Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the APC secured control of 59 seats in the Senate and 175 in the House.

The opposition parties, on the other hand, controlled 50 Senate and 182 House seats.

In the Senate, the PDP had 36 seats, LP 8, and other minor parties held the remaining six.

In the House of Representatives, the PDP had 118 members, LP 35, NNPP 19, and others held the remaining seats, with two seats vacant.

Since July 2023, the wave of defections has weakened the opposition, with at least 38 lawmakers?8 senators and 30 House members?switching to the ruling APC, further strengthening its grip on both chambers.

Several PDP lawmakers have defected to the APC, including Erhriatake Ibori-Suenu (Delta), Salisu Koko (Kebbi), Amos Magaji (Kaduna), Ned Nwoko (Delta North), Jallo Hussaini Mohammed (Kaduna), Adamu Tanko (Niger), Chris Nkwonta (Abia), and Suleiman Abubakar Gumi (Zamfara).

Others from Delta ? Nnamdi Ezechi, Jonathan Okodiko, Thomas Eriyetomi, Julius Pondi, and Victor Nwokolo, have also switched sides.

Additionally, three senators from Kebbi?Adamu Aliero, Yahaya Abdullahi, and Garba Maidoki?joined the APC after a meeting with President Tinubu.

Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele justified the defection of all the federal lawmakers from Kebbi State to the APC, noting that the ruling party ?is now running a government of national unity.?

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Bamidele, representing Ekiti Central in the upper chamber, noted that Tinubu did not coerce any member of the opposition political parties to defect to the APC contrary to public criticism.

From the Labour Party, Senator Ezenwa Onyewuchi (Imo East) and Reps Esosa Iyawe (Edo), Chinedu Okere (Imo), Mathew Donatus (Kaduna), and Akiba Bassey (Cross River) defected to the APC as well.

More recently, the NNPP also lost some lawmakers to the ruling party, including Yusuf Galambi (Jigawa), Senator Kawu Sumaila, Reps Kabiru Rurum, and Abdullahi Rogo.

As negotiations continued, more defections and endorsements of the President for the 2027 elections are expected.

According to multiple sources, the defectors were motivated in part by the promise of juicy political appointments, re-election prospects, and other political advantages.

Speaking through his media adviser, Paul Ibe, the 2023 presidential flag bearer warned that Nigeria is at a crossroads and called on all opposition leaders to unite against President Tinubu.

Atiku said it is a disservice to Nigerians to reward incompetence and cluelessness, or to endorse Tinubu?s policies, which, according to him, have impoverished the people.

He stated, ?We?re at a crossroads and elections are consequential. Everyone is aware of the state of the nation, there?s no need for a lecture. By May 2025, just two years into this administration, there was already nothing to suggest things would improve. In fact, it only got worse.

?Food inflation has soared, Nigerians? material well-being has deteriorated, poverty is widespread, and insecurity is rampant, marked by constant attacks, killings, and maimings. The leadership is rudderless. It?s like a ship adrift without direction.?

He noted that elections are supposed to offer citizens the chance to either validate the mandate previously given, like what happened in 2023, or to reclaim their country.

?It would be a disservice to Nigerians for leaders, regardless of party or political alignment, to reward incompetence and cluelessness, or to continue endorsing the policies that have impoverished the people.

?Declaring support for Tinubu, defections to support him, and a vote for Tinubu signify a desire to continue the same policies that have made life unbearable for Nigerians. Anyone who supports that agenda is, in effect, aligning with the Tinubu administration in perpetuating poverty and insecurity.?

Atiku stated that the ex-Lagos governor was unprepared for leadership and urged the opposition leaders to avoid supporting the APC.

Instead, he called on them to join a coalition aimed at challenging Tinubu and taking back Nigeria.

The former Vice President continued, ?We cannot all be lumped together with those who have embraced failure. That?s what the APC administration has come to represent.

?The desperation is clear. They?re clinging to power through state instruments?using intimidation, harassment, and even, allegedly, kidnappings. I hope you?re aware of that. These leaders are leveraging corruption allegations to manipulate others, threatening exposure to force them to defect and join the APC.

?A one-party state is dangerous for democracy. His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar, expects all well-meaning Nigerians who truly love this country to come together under the coalition.

?We now have a historic opportunity to reclaim the rights of the people and begin rebuilding from the damage caused by these political marauders.

?The Tinubu administration was never prepared for governance. That?s evident. The so-called achievements in Lagos have been evaluated and found wanting. As the saying goes, ?the fruit doesn?t fall far from the tree.? The first two years of the Tinubu administration are a clear sample of what?s to come.?

The PDP Publicity Secretary also described the wave of defections and open endorsements of Tinubu by opposition leaders as a danger to democracy.

Ologunagba, who labelled Tinubu a failure, asserted that the 2027 election would be a battle between the Nigerian people and the APC, insisting that defectors won?t be able to save Tinubu from an inevitable defeat.

He noted, ?The gale of defections is a threat to democracy. Most of those defecting are doing so out of fear and hunger. But it is time for Nigerians to say no to that.

?This government has failed on all fronts. And defectors cannot and will not save Tinubu in 2027. The 2027 election is not going to be about party, it is going to be the Nigerian people against the APC. The Nigerian people will have to decide.

?So, no matter how they coerce or force opposition leaders to join them, there is a limit to how far that can work. This government has failed, and it can no longer command respect. That is why they are getting angry.

?We have a failed government?a completely irresponsible and rudderless APC government. The government is going down the drain, and Nigerians will not be fooled again. By 2027, they will reclaim their country,? he declared optimistically.

Ologunagba called on all opposition leaders to stay committed to their respective parties and come together in unity to save the country.

He continued, ?There must be a determination by Nigerians, whatever name you call it, to get this APC clearly out of the way. Whether you call it a coalition, an alliance, or a merger?whatever you call it?there is a unified position of Nigerians to vote out this APC leadership.

Our message to opposition leaders, especially members of the PDP, is to remain committed, stay focused, and not be intimidated. The only way we can have a viable democracy is for us to stay back in our party and work to rescue this country from the APC.

We must stay focused, speak with one voice?against authoritarianism, against shenanigans, against irresponsibility, and above all, against threats to democracy.?

The NNPP National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, described the wave of defections from opposition parties to the APC as troubling.

In an interview with The PUNCH, he clarified that there is no indication that Kwankwaso or the Kano State governor intended to leave the NNPP, and urged Nigerians to rise and take back their country.

He said, ?The situation is worrisome. It is of concern to us, not just the attitude of the politicians, but also the attitude of Nigerians. These politicians are crossing because of ?stomach infrastructure?, so they should not vote based on ?stomach infrastructure.?

?Some of the politicians are looking at the voters. If they could have voted this way in Edo, if they could have voted this way in Ondo, etc., they wouldn?t bother about opposing. Instead, they would join the party that seems able to deliver on ?stomach infrastructure.? So, it?s a two-way thing, and it?s a big problem for us in this country.

?I know that there are many Nigerians who are good and want this country to develop, but I say to them, you are asleep at the wheel. We must all wake up and take back this country. It?s as simple as that.

?If 30-something governors go to the APC, it doesn?t mean they?ll win. The bottom line is that, unfortunately for the APC, Nigerians see these defections not as relating to ideology but more about the grab for power, economic inducements, etc.

?On the streets, that?s what people are saying?they are going for money and doing this and that. So, painful and unfortunately as it is, these defections will amount to nothing come 2027.?

The NNPP publicity scribe maintained that those who left the party did so for selfish interests, asserting that the NNPP remains strong and united despite the defections.

Addressing the rumours of a deal between Kwankwaso, the Kano State governor, and the President, he remarked, ?Regarding the governor and Senator Kwankwaso supporting the re-election bid of President Tinubu, all I can say is that the party does not have a position on that right now.

?Our position as of today is that we are rebuilding, trying to grow our base, and preparing for 2027. Definitely, we are open to talks with various groups, movements, and maybe parties as well.?

The APC National Publicity Secretary, Basiru, rejected the allegations that the ruling party was coercing the defectors, arguing that the APC is in a strong position for the 2027 elections.

He countered opposition concerns, asserting that the defections would not destabilise the APC, and emphasising that the party has the necessary structure to accommodate all interests.

?No one is being forced to join the APC. They are joining because of the visible achievements of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Therefore, there won?t be any implosion.

?Why should it lead to internal rancour? Why must people think negatively rather than positively? Why can?t they see the electoral advantage, the potential for unity, and the development of our democratic process?

?Our party is well-structured and organised. You can see that we are full of activity and progress. We have no fear?we possess the experience, temperament, and maturity to handle any challenges that may come from expanding the party?s scope.

?We are happy to welcome as many people as possible. We actively seek to grow our membership because we believe more members will strengthen our electoral chances and our contribution to leadership development in the country.?

Speaking in the same vein, the APC Publicity Director, Ibrahim, stated that the prominent leaders are leaving the PDP, NNPP, and LP due to the leadership failures within those parties.

Ibrahim explained that people are voluntarily joining the ruling party and supporting President Tinubu ?because of the administration?s commendable achievements.??

?The party is not going to implode because of the people joining it in recent times. You see, the PDP, NNPP, and the Labour Party combined are simply parties that lack qualitative leadership to manage crises.

?Due to this lack of management skills, they are losing relevance and control daily. They assume every other party is like theirs.

?On the contrary, the APC is a progressive party?always thinking and planning ahead. Even if all Nigerians, over 250 million people, were to cross over to the APC, they would be accommodated without any rancour.

?While that may not be ideal for democracy, if it becomes necessary, the APC has enough room to accommodate everyone, and it will not implode.

?Also, our party is not pressuring people to join. People are joining willingly. What pressure? Let them pinpoint exactly what kind of pressure is being applied?where, how, and by whom?

?People are simply impressed by the leadership style and skills, particularly those of President Bola Tinubu and National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, who are consistently working toward party unity, improving internal relationships, and delivering democratic dividends.

?These are the things that are lacking in other parties. In the APC, those who wish to contest are given a fair and level playing field to pursue their ambitions.

?That is what is attracting people, not coercion or force. All these factors will count in 2027, and they will secure victory for the APC against others,? he asserted.

Meanwhile, there are strong indications that Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno may defect to the ruling party anytime soon.

Multiple and top APC chieftains, who spoke under the condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak on the matter yet, linked the planned defection to various reasons.

?The governor is not sure he will win his re-election in the PDP with the Senate President Godswill Akpabio in the APC. He feels his re-election will be guaranteed if he is APC,? a top ruling party chieftain close to the development, said.

However, unconfirmed sources said pressure around the alleged EFCC probe of the governor?s predecessor, among other factors, was forcing the incumbent to consider ditching the PDP.

The governor may make a major pronouncement when President Bola Tinubu comes to commission some projects in the state within the next one month.

The PUNCH could not independently verify the claim that an ongoing EFCC probe of the immediate past governor of the state was one of the reasons the governor was contemplating a purported defection to the ruling party.

Meanwhile, sources said ex-governor Udom Emmanuel has resisted pressure to join the ruling party, insisting that he would rather remain in the PDP regardless of the pressure.

Meanwhile, top APC chieftains said current moves by some northern powerbrokers to undermine Tinubu?s chances in the 2027 poll was one of the reasons the ruling party is making aggressive incursion into the South-South, South-East and South-West zones.

According to the party stalwarts, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the APC is seeking to get as many states as possible in the southern part of the country in order to guarantee victory in the coming poll. Also, The APC is reportedly targeting Kano, being one of the key swing states.

The Akwa Ibom State APC said though it could not dispute or confirm plans by Governor Eno to defect to the ruling party, the fact that he hadn?t openly denied it could mean he might cross over.

The Director General, APC Media Network, Iniobong John, said, ?Well, we are not in any position to dispute or confirm such reports because the governor is yet to communicate that decision to our party in the state, that he is defecting, even though the rumour has become very strong; it has gained ground and everybody is discussing the governor?s planned defection.

?But we believe that since the governor has not denied any such plans in recent times, has been making remarks that he is getting tired of the PDP and will soon be defecting to another political party, which we believe is our own party. For instance, like when he painted the picture that if you want to use Ibom Air to travel and then you discover that it cannot fly, nothing stops you from boarding any aircraft that is available and ready to fly.

?The other time he also said there was no ideological difference between APC and PDP; that they are same family. If he joins APC, nothing stops him. So, while we are not to dispute that, we believe that the governor has found our party attractive and a platform he can pursue his future political aspirations. (The PUNCH)

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