President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday took a subtle swipe at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the newly formed coalition-backed African Democratic Congress (ADC), urging opposition politicians to defect and join the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Naijaonpoint reports that Tinubu, while addressing the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the ruling party in Abuja, said it was “not a bad idea” for politicians to defect from struggling opposition parties to the APC, which he described as a more stable platform.

“It’s not a bad idea to abandon a sinking ship and be absent from a coalition of confusion,” Tinubu stated, in what appeared to be a thinly veiled jab at the PDP and the ADC coalition led by former presidential candidates, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi.

The President also used the opportunity to welcome Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and Governor of Akwa Ibom State Umo Eno, who recently defected from the PDP to join the APC, a move seen by analysts as a strategic win for the ruling party ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Tinubu urged APC members to keep the party’s doors open for more defectors, stressing that the party must remain inclusive and accommodating to all who share its vision.

According to party records, the APC currently controls 23 states.

The President’s remarks come amid heightened political realignments, with the ADC coalition already attracting major opposition figures, including former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, and former Kaduna Governor, Nasir El-Rufai.