Nassarawa state Governor Abdullahi Sule has affirmed that the defection wave affecting the opposition parties may not be abating anytime soon, hinting that additional governors are finalising their plans to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
He claims that President Bola Tinubu’s administration’s changes are reflected in the growing number of well-known politicians in the APC.
Another element of intrigue was added ahead of the general election in 2027 when Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, who led his cabinet to desert the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), became the latest well-known figure to join the APC.
But Oborevwori’s defection to the APC won’t be the last, as more governors are set to move to the APC, according to Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa.
“I don’t know the number, but we are expecting [more governors to join the APC],” the Nasarawa governor said on Thursday while fielding questions during an interview appearance.
“You have a lot of people who have shown interest – even among the governors, you know – who are coming into the APC,” the APC chieftain said.
Governor Sule said many politicians in the country admire the president’s leadership and have already indicated interest in joining the ruling party.
“When we are meeting with the president, you see the excitement among them,” he said.
Sule said the governors feel “accepted by this president, and they like him”.
Oborevwori aligned with the APC alongside his predecessor, Ifeanyi Okowa, in Asaba on Wednesday, ending months of speculation over the governor’s future. Okowa was the vice presidential candidate of the PDP in the 2023 election.
The defection came days after Governor Oborevwori threw his weight behind President Tinubu for the next general elections in 2027, despite being a member of the PDP then. His Akwa Ibom counterpart, Umoh Eno, also followed a similar path, endorsing the Nigerian president for a second term.
The Delta State Information Commissioner, Charles Aniagwu, cited the need “for us to be able to collaborate and build a state that every Deltan will be proud of” as a reason for the defection.
