There are strong indications that recent political actions by President Bola Tinubu have been responsible for the defections of prominent opposition figures to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to Sunday PUNCH, both the APC and the President, who had earlier been on the defensive against criticisms from opposition parties and anti-Tinubu coalition groups, now seem to have reversed the situation.
It was reported that some insiders have suggested that the shift in political allegiances was a result of President Tinubu’s recent political moves.
However, while some sources and opposition figures claimed that the President had employed inducements and blackmail, his supporters maintained that it was his leadership that had made the party more attractive to outsiders.
Reports from within the APC indicated that Governors Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom, Peter Mbah of Enugu, Aba Yusuf of Kano, and the suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers were among the new converts expected to join the party in the coming weeks.
“It’s not a rumour. It’s happening; those four governors; Eno, Mbah, Yusuf and Fubara, are on their way to joining the APC,” a source said.
Multiple sources at the ruling party’s secretariat in Abuja also confirmed the development to Sunday PUNCH.
This followed just three days after the defections of Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, his predecessor Ifeanyi Okowa, and all members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
Their change of allegiance was announced by Senator James Manager last Wednesday, shortly after a meeting that had lasted over six hours at the Government House in Asaba.
Find Verified News At Your fingertips Click The Button Below