Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro, has weighed in on the wave of defections from opposition parties to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), suggesting that many of those making the switch have “sins” they are hoping will be forgiven.
Naturenex report that the country has witnessed a series of high-profile defections from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC in recent weeks. Notably, former PDP vice presidential candidate Ifeanyi Okowa, Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, and every PDP lawmaker representing Delta State in the House of Representatives have all dumped the party for the APC. In addition, three PDP senators from Kebbi State also crossed over to the ruling party.
During an appearance on AIT’s Focus Nigeria, Moro reacted to the development, claiming that history would eventually expose the real reasons behind these mass defections.
He stated, “When history unfolds, we are going to have the privilege of knowing the main reasons why people are moving from PDP to the ruling party.”
According to the senator, it has become a common trend for politicians to seek proximity to power, abandoning the opposition when it no longer serves their personal interests.
“It has always been the practice though, people don’t want to stay outside the corridors of power and so they quickly begin to realize that in the opposition, they won’t be getting as much as they want to get,” he said.
Moro further implied that some of those defecting have checkered pasts and personal motivations driving their moves.
“Some of them who have been helmsmen at their various levels in the states, LGs, and Senate certainly have more reasons than meets the eye to moving to the ruling party.”
He also referenced a past comment by an APC chieftain, who once remarked that joining the APC comes with political absolution.
“Don’t forget that a chieftain of the APC at one point said, if you move from your party to the APC, your sins are forgiven – so given the antecedents of some of the characters that are moving now – you can only conclude that they are only attesting to this assertion.”
Expressing his disappointment in the situation, Moro questioned whether these defections benefit the country’s democratic process.
“They have sins and are looking for forgiveness, politically, these displaced persons may be going to the ruling party to ask for forgiveness, but is it in the interest of this country? Is it in the interest of democracy? Is it in the interest of the political development of this country that people continue to move from one political platform to the other?”
He concluded by lamenting the erosion of political principles and values in Nigeria’s democracy.
“Where have principles taken flight to? Where has value taken flight to? You were elected on the platform of a political party and as the Supreme Court ruled, it’s political parties that people vote for, then you suddenly decide that you want to move to another political party which is predicated on the nebulous excuse that you are doing that in the interest of your constituency.”
