…“South-East can’t be captured” – Peter Obi
The wave of defections from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has drawn sharp reactions across Nigeria’s political landscape, with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Labour Party (LP)’s Peter Obi, warning of a creeping authoritarian trend.
The ADC, in a strongly worded statement yesterday, accused President Bola Tinubu and the APC of working to turn Nigeria into a one-party state through inducements and intimidation.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, described the defection of Enugu State governor, Peter Mbah, and Bayelsa governor, Douye Diri, as “political apostasy” and “a betrayal of the Nigerian people.”
Abdullahi said the defections were not born of conviction but of “cowardice and selfish interest,” adding that the ruling party has “failed on every front — from security and economy to healthcare and governance — while Nigerians continue to suffer the consequences.”
He vowed that the ADC and other opposition parties would resist attempts to erode democracy ahead of the 2027 general elections, declaring that “the coming polls will be a battle between the Nigerian people and the Tinubu-led APC”.
Meanwhile, former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, dismissed speculations that the defections signal a political takeover of the South-East. According to him, “nobody can capture the South-East through defections,” as the region’s political loyalty lies with “good governance, justice, and accountability – not party alignments.”
Obi insisted that the people of the South-East are politically conscious and value-driven, saying, “Defections don’t change the will of the people. Our politics should be about service, not selfish gain”.
As political realignments gather momentum, both opposition voices warned that Nigeria’s democracy must not be reduced to a game of political convenience, but anchored on integrity, service, and genuine representation of the people.
