Defections: ‘APC Is Using Money To Buy Off PDP’ – Bugaje

Former House of Representatives member and ex-presidential adviser, Usman Bugaje, has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of using financial incentives to lure politicians from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Naijaonpoint reports that Bugaje’s comments came in the wake of the latest defections, including that of Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, and the 2023 running mate to Atiku Abubakar, Ifeanyi Okowa, who joined the APC on Wednesday alongside other key political figures from the PDP.

In an interview with Arise News, Bugaje explained that while there may be instances where opposition figures with records at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are coerced into defecting, the primary driver behind the recent mass defections is financial gain.

“Well, for what I know, and I don’t claim to know everything, the APC is basically using money to buy off PDP,” Bugaje stated.

He further illustrated this claim by saying, “Some say a carrot and a steak. So the money is the carrot. What’s the steak? I’m not quite sure. Of course, if there are people with records in the EFCC, they may invest in them. They might do these kinds of things. And this has been the practice right from the time of President Obasanjo.”

Bugaje expressed serious concern about the use of money in politics, describing it as a grave threat to the integrity of the nation’s democratic process.

“And for me, this is a very serious issue, and this should be the center of our conversation in politics because for as long as money is going to be the determining factor, you know, then that’s the end of democracy, and that’s the end of politics,” he warned.

Meanwhile, the PDP has reacted strongly to the recent defections, particularly in Delta State, where it was caught off-guard by the mass movement of its key members to the APC. In a statement, acting national chairman of the PDP, Umar Damagum, expressed that the party did not expect such a significant loss of members.

He emphasised that the next general election would not be determined by the number of governors a party holds, but rather by the will of the people.

Damagum also suggested that the election would serve as an opportunity for Nigerians to punish the ruling APC for the hardship it has caused.

Commenting further on the state of opposition politics in Nigeria, Bugaje criticised the PDP’s failure to present a strong opposition since Minister Nyesom Wike’s defection to the APC.

He pointed out that the PDP had lost its effectiveness as the main opposition party, citing instances where members failed to challenge the APC on critical issues.

“There has not been opposition right from the time the minister Wike did what he did. I mean, basically, the PDP has lost that opportunity to become an opposition party,” Bugaje remarked.

He further highlighted the party’s lack of action during significant parliamentary issues such as the declaration of emergency rule and budget discussions, which he believed demonstrated the PDP’s inability to perform its role as an opposition force.

“Look at how members behaved in the last big issue of emergency rule, in the parliament, look at what they did when it came to the budgeting to so many other things. So really, there is no opposition party,” he concluded.