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Allow Defectors From Coalition of Confusion the Join APC — Tinubu
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has once again criticized opposition parties, urging more politicians to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking during the APC’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja on Thursday, the president took a swipe at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC), describing them as a “sinking ship” and a “coalition of confusion.”
“It’s not a bad idea to abandon a sinking ship and be absent from a coalition of confusion,” Tinubu remarked. He emphasized that the APC remains open to welcoming defectors and encouraged party members to receive them warmly.
“As we create space for more aspiring individuals to join us, our doors remain open,” he added.
The president’s comments come amid a wave of defections that have further bolstered the APC’s influence. Recently, Governors Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State and Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State left the PDP to join the APC.
In the Senate, four lawmakers also switched allegiance from the PDP to the APC. The defectors include Senators Sampson Ekong (Akwa Ibom South), Aniekan Bassey (Akwa Ibom North-East), Francis Fadahunsi (Osun East), and Olubiyi Fadeyi (Osun Central). With these additions, the APC now holds 70 of the 109 Senate seats—just two short of the two-thirds majority threshold.
The PDP retains 28 seats in the Senate, while the Labour Party (LP) holds five. The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has two seats, with the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) holding one seat each.
In the House of Representatives, the APC also strengthened its position following the defection of three PDP lawmakers—Taofeek Ajilesoro, Omirin Emmanuel Olusanya (both from Osun), and Marcus Onobun (Edo), on Wednesday. This followed the earlier defection of Mark Esset (Akwa Ibom) on Tuesday. These moves raise the APC’s tally in the 360-member chamber to 224 seats.
