Sources Claim Political Maneuvering Behind Key Defections To APC

Recent political shifts, largely attributed to President Bola Tinubu’s actions, appear to be driving a wave of defections from opposition parties to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Sources have confirmed to Sunday Punch that the APC, alongside the President, may have successfully turned the tables on the opposition and anti-Tinubu coalition groups, who had previously been critical of the administration.

Insiders within the APC revealed that the defections, which have seen several high-profile political figures leave their former parties, can be traced back to President Tinubu’s leadership and strategic moves in recent weeks.

While some opposition figures and sources close to rival parties have accused President Tinubu of deploying inducements and blackmail to lure these political figures to the APC, his supporters have countered these claims by highlighting the President’s effective leadership, which they argue has made the APC an attractive platform for new members.

Insiders at the APC have confirmed that several high-profile politicians, including governors, are set to join the ruling party in the coming weeks.

Governors Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom, Peter Mbah of Enugu, Abba Yusuf of Kano, and the suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers have been identified as the latest high-profile converts expected to switch allegiance to the APC.

“It is not a rumour. It is happening; those four governors – Eno, Mbah, Yusuf, and Fubara – are on their way to joining the APC,” a source close to the party told Punch. Multiple other sources within the APC also confirmed this development.

Delta State Defections Mark A Major Political Shift

Naijaonpoint reports that the defections come in the wake of a significant political shift in Delta State, where Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, his predecessor Ifeanyi Okowa, and all members of the PDP in the state declared their allegiance to the APC.

This announcement was made last Wednesday by Senator James Manager, following a six-hour meeting at the Government House in Asaba. This move has been seen as a major blow to the PDP’s standing in the region.

While the defections have been celebrated by APC members, some sources suggest that there may be more at play than just political realignment.

A source mentioned the covert meeting between President Tinubu and Governor Fubara in London as one example of the behind-the-scenes manoeuvring that may have influenced these defections.

The meeting, confirmed by The Africa Report, was reportedly at the insistence of Governor Fubara, who was suspended following a declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.

However, details of the meeting remain unclear, as presidential aides contacted by Sunday PUNCH denied knowledge of the trip, and the specifics of the discussions have not been confirmed.

A top source said, “It was at that meeting that we believed Fubara must have been coaxed into considering the idea of defection as part of the arrangement to return his mandate. We also have reasons to suspect that Governor Eno’s potential move to the APC is linked to his predecessor and godfather’s alleged corruption case with the EFCC.

“Kano’s case is already a done deal as Tinubu has started reconciling Ganduje and Kwankwaso. In the coming days, the news of Abba Yusuf’s defection will be made public because he will officially move to the APC with his mentor. We all know Kano is too big a state for Tinubu to ignore politically.”

Additionally, a chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Buba Galadima, claimed that a federal lawmaker from his party stated that President Tinubu allocated a ₦95bn ecological fund project to him.

He said, “At least if I don’t know anything, I know a serving lawmaker who declared that he was given ₦95bn, which is not in the budget, for an ecological project.”

The National Secretary of the APC, Ajibola Basiru, in a chat with Punch denied allegations of inducement and blackmail.

He said, “How can we induce a governor to come and join our political party? There is no factual basis for those allegations. It is in the figment of their imagination and possibly a product of hallucination. The truth is that even before decamping, if they check online, they will realise Governor Sherif has, on several occasions, shown his preference for Tinubu’s presidency.

“He has never hidden his admiration. So, when the stakeholders met, they felt that rather than just supporting Asiwaju in 2027, they should join his party so they could work together. Less than two weeks ago, we were in Agbor when the chairman of NDDC and the Delta Unity Group defected to the APC.

“The only senator of the PDP in Delta, Senator Ned Nwoko, also defected to the APC. So, anybody watching the development knows that it was only a matter of time before the leadership of that place moved. I hope you also know that former Governor James Ibori is a friend of Asiwaju, and they have been collaborating since Tinubu became president. So, would he not want his party to join up with Asiwaju Tinubu?”