Defections: Democracy Not Under Threat, Presidency Tells Opposition

The Presidency has dismissed concerns that recent defections to the All Progressives Congress (APC) threaten Nigeria’s democracy, describing such fears as baseless and politically motivated. Last week, Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, former Governor and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) vice-presidential candidate Ifeanyi Okowa, and several other PDP leaders in Delta State defected to the ruling APC in a major political shift.

The development sparked criticism from opposition figures, with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar warning that Nigeria’s democracy was “under siege.” Atiku said that when  f voices are stifled and political competition is weakened, democracy itself is at risk, stressing that freedom of association and expression are non-negotiable pillars of any functional democracy.

However, the Presidency, through Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, rejected these claims, insisting that democracy remains vibrant and under no threat. Onanuga said the defections only exposed the internal weaknesses of the opposition and accused “disgruntled opposition figures, some partisan human rights crusaders, and emergency defenders of democracy” of raising false alarms.

He said the shift, including the open support of Akwa Ibom Governor Umo Eno for President Bola Tinubu and the defections in Delta and Rivers States, had unsettled the opposition, leading to unfounded allegations of attempts to establish a one-party state. Onanuga insisted there is no policy or directive from the Presidency aimed at dismantling democracy, weakening opposition, or creating a one-party system, dismissing accusations of bribery, blackmail, and the weaponisation of state institutions as “products of idle minds.”

According to Onanuga, the opposition should not blame President Tinubu or the APC for their own poor organisation and incompetence, adding that strengthening opposition parties is not the President’s responsibility. He criticised what he called the opposition’s double standards, pointing out that the same voices now lamenting defections into the APC had previously celebrated political realignments that favoured them, such as former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s move to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

Onanuga maintained that freedoms of association, speech, and choice remain intact, insisting that those joining the APC are doing so voluntarily because they believe in President Tinubu’s reform agenda. He argued that democracy is not under threat simply because politicians exercise their right to associate freely, adding that it would be a disservice to democracy to delegitimise the choices of Nigerians who support the President.

The Presidency emphasised that under Tinubu’s leadership, Nigeria’s democracy remains strong and that the country’s multiparty system will continue to thrive. The statement noted that party switching is not new to Nigeria and is common even in advanced democracies. Onanuga also commended President Tinubu and the APC National Working 5, led by Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, for making the party “viable and attractive to Nigerians willing to participate in the democratic process.”