With barely less than two years into another round of general elections, political actors across various platforms are beginning to align and realign with defection fever catching up with the whole space.
For instance, the defection of the Delta state governor, Sherriff Oborevwori, has continued to generate heated controversy in the political space, with all the political groups boasting of their readiness to have a clean sweep during the 2027 general elections.
Oborevwori, Wednesday, led all the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) stakeholders and the entire structure in the state into the All Progressives Congress (APC) fold.
…More govs for APC
Speaking Thursday in Abuja, National Chairman of the APC, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, said the party’s 2027 project is a done deal, assuring that more defections of governors from the opposition parties were still being expected ahead of the 2027 polls.
He spoke when he formally received some defectors from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Kano state chapter, led by the lawmaker representing Kano South, Senator Kawu Ismailia.
Other defectors include Rt. Hon. Kabiru Alhasan Rurmum representing Rano/Kibiya Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Abdullahi Sani Rogo, Rt. Hon. Zubairu Hamza Massu, member Kano State House of Assembly, Dr. A B. Baffa Bichi, former Secretary to the State Government, Hon. Mohd Digol, former commissioners in the state, Hon. Abbas S. Abbas, Hon. Sha’aban Ibrahim Lawal, a former governorship candidate, Hon. Badamasi Ayuba Danbatta, a former federal lawmaker, member, House of Reps, and Hon. Idris Dankuwa, a former member, House of Representatives.
Addressing journalists after a closed-door meeting with the new members, Ganduje said: “In APC, we believe in our president, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tunbu, we believe in his economic reforms, we believe in his Renewed Hope Agenda and part of the political renewed hope agenda he is trying to canvass for more followership into the party.
“We started by democratically electing governors, especially in Edo State, who was in PDP, we elected, we succeeded in winning the election, he is now in APC.
“Now, there is another channel that has been opened through advocacy, through dialogue, through convincing some highly and even elected governors to come into the party. And you can see what has happened now.
“The governor of Delta State is now in APC, including his cabinet, including all the members of the state assembly and House of Representatives, and the timber and caliber of PDP, now in APC, even including the former vice presidential candidate coming into our party. So, you can see that we are expanding. I don’t want to reveal our secret, but what I’m telling you is that APC 2027 is a done deal.”
When asked about rumours of more state governors joining the APC, Gandjue said, “more governors are coming into APC, I assure you, and places where we have election, APC in sha Allah will win those elections.”
Also speaking, leader of the defectors, Senator Kawu, said: “This is the coming together of like-minds in NNPP Kano state.”
When asked whether his defection will make impact for APC, the senator said: “I will refer you to 2023 general election. Go and check the results. I mean the presidential, senatorial, and House of Representatives elections, where we contested the same day, the same polling unit with Kwankwaso. That will give you the answer to your question.
You will see my result, his (Kwankwaso) result, and various members of the House of Representatives on that very day. Then the subsequent election, the senatorial and state assembly members, you will see the difference and you will understand what we are telling you.”
…Coalition unshaken
However, the Atiku Abubakar-led 2027 National Coalition remains unperturbed by the ongoing defections of some governors and other politicians into the APC.
In a reaction, one of the secretariat leaders of the proposed 2027 National Coalition, Malam Salihu Moh Lukman, said the recent development did not come to them as a surprise.
Lukman, a former Director General of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), said: “We have gone far, and what has happened in terms of some governors and some leaders moving into APC is not going to distract us at all. Not long from now, the full detail of the coalition will be unveiled to Nigerians. And the structure and the strategy in terms of how the election will be contested will be clarified.
“First, I think anybody who will say this is not unexpected, will only be deceiving himself. The signals have been there, that some governors are going to decamp. It’s not just one but some governors.
“You also know that the situation in PDP, the party is clearly a shadow of its own self. Although we acknowledge there are people, there are leaders in PDP who are optimistic they can rescue the party. But if you remember, when the governors issued a statement against the Coalition, what was our response?
“Our response was that many of them are working for Asiwaju, and shortly after that, you saw the statement from Akwa Ibom state governor, and of course the Delta governor. It’s not only him, if you check the comments, there are many more that are being expected. And on two sides, on the side of people who genuinely worry for the country, are expressing fear about a one-party state.”
On why they remained undistracted, Lukman further said: “I can tell you for certain, we are not going to produce a new political structure that will be blind or ignorant of the character of politicians. Anybody coming in will be related to, based on their own past trajectory. So, if truly we want to rescue the country, we are not talking of rescuing the country as just defeating Asiwaju and APC.
“We want to correct all the mistakes and shortcomings from the Buhari administration to the Asiwaju administration, and we want to restore the aspiration of Nigerians to produce a stronger and greater country, produce leaders that they will be proud of. That is what the coalition is all about. And if anybody sees it differently, we are going to correct all of that.”
…Embattled PDP
And on its part, the embattled PDP said it was ready to take over its structure in Delta state by setting up a caretaker committee to step in.
The party’s national chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, stated this Thursday in Abuja while presenting the PDP flag to its candidate, Mr Jude Ezenwafor, in the forthcoming governorship election in Anambra state.
Damagum said while the party was still taking stocks, it is not afraid to face the 2027 challenges.
On the Delta defection, he said: “I want to use this opportunity to say we’ll take over our structures immediately by setting up a caretaker. We are still taking stocks, and we will do that immediately.
“I also want to enjoin our members; both in Delta and the country in general, I want to remind us what happened in 2023.
“Obi has no governor, but he muzzled all those votes that he muzzled. This election in 2027 is not about how many governors you have or how many leaders. It’s about Tinubu, and Nigerians will give you the result.
“The ordinary man is feeling the pinch, and the decision is his. So, I want to use this opportunity to tell Nigerians that it is their election. It is APC versus Nigerians,”
Speaking further, Damagum said: “If God wants to help you, he takes out all the thorns along the way. I know we have one united party in Anambra today.
“I want to commend your resilience, to commit yourself to being the flag bearer of this party. I know it’s not easy. But your commitment, belief and sincerity, would see us through this election and victory would be yours.
“I want to encourage you. You have started well. From the evolution of the state executive to your emergence as our candidate, I think what you need to do is to go back and consolidate. I’m going to make sure that everyone is back on board. I assure you of our total support and commitment.”