Speaker Abbas
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has said that Nigerians should expect a gale of high-profile defections from opposition parties to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Abbas, who gave the indication on Saturday during the APC North-West Zonal stakeholders’ meeting held in Kaduna, said this would happen very soon. He attributed the trend to increasing public confidence in the party and President Bola Tinubu’s performance in office.
The Speaker highlighted that since the 2023 general elections, the APC has secured governorships in 19 states and holds the majority in both chambers of the National Assembly.
His Special Adviser, Musa Krishi, quoted him as saying: “At the gubernatorial level, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and his predecessor, Ifeanyi Okowa, have joined our party. We expect many more high-profile defections in the near future, further reflecting the growing trust Nigerians have in our party and in President Tinubu’s leadership.
“These reforms have led to significant regional gains through strategic policy engagement and development partnerships. We have revitalized our presence in Zamfara and Sokoto and consolidated our standing in the South-South, as demonstrated by recent electoral successes in Rivers and Bayelsa.”
He added that, “It is essential to recognise that the North-West, as the zone with the largest voting bloc, boasting over 22m registered voters according to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s 2023 data, is not merely a peripheral actor but a decisive force in shaping electoral outcomes.”
