Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele has dismissed claims that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is coercing lawmakers from opposition parties to defect.
He stated that recent defections into the APC are voluntary and reflect a growing recognition of the party’s political direction and governance agenda.
Bamidele made the clarification during Tuesday’s plenary session while responding to widespread concerns that the APC and President Bola Tinubu are steering Nigeria toward a one-party state.
His words: “We are not at the polls. No one is being coerced. If anyone would be coerced, it is certainly not the Senator Adamu Aliero that I know.
“Nor is it Professor Yahya Abdullahi or Senator Maidoki — all of whom have proven themselves in both politics and the private sector.
“They are not in politics to survive or to feed. Professor Yahya Abdullahi, for example, is the kind of person who would rather stay in the opposition and speak boldly. But he and others recognise that this is not a time for grandstanding. It is a time to work together to move Nigeria forward.”
His comments followed the defection of three senators from Kebbi State Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central), Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi North), and Garba Maidoki (Kebbi South) who crossed from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC.
Their move adds to recent defections by several House of Representatives members, notably from Delta and Kebbi states.
Just last week, Senator Kawu Sumaila (Kano South) left the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) for the APC, citing unresolved leadership issues within his former party.
Critics, however, argue that the defections are part of a calculated APC strategy to weaken the opposition and consolidate power.
But Bamidele countered that the realignment of lawmakers is not unusual in a democratic setting.
“This is the beauty of democracy. People are free to choose where they believe they can make the most impact. No one is being forced. The president is not plotting to erase the opposition — far from it,” he said.
He concluded by calling for unity and collaboration across party lines to address Nigeria’s urgent developmental challenges.
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