Defection: Stop blaming Tinubu for your failure, APC chieftain tells opposition parties
CHIGOZIE AMADI
Opposition parties in the country have been urged to purge themselves of internal wranglings and anti-democratic tendencies, rather than blame President Bola Tinubu for their woes, which has made them lose more members in recent times.
This advice was given by a Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Osun State, Mr. Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, in a statement made available to journalists in Osogbo on Sunday.
Oyintiloye, who predicted more defections out of opposition parties, especially from the People’s Democratic Party into the APC, also told the affected political parties to stop blaming Tinubu for losing members but work hard to address challenges leading to defections.
A former lawmaker representing Obokun State Constituency in the Osun State House of Assembly, Oyintiloye also implored opposition parties in the country to look inward and embrace internal democracy.
Declaring that political realignment is not a new phenomenon in Nigeria, he also noted that the recent wave of defections was due to ideological persuasion of the present administration, and not any form of coercion as being speculated in some quarters.
“So many defectors claimed that they were sidelined, undermined, unfairly treated by their former parties, leaving them with no option but to switch to a party with an agenda for transformation.
“This season of political recalibration that is leading to a growing number of Nigerian politicians defecting en masse to the ruling All Progressives Congress is an indication that the party has shown encouraging signs of being capable of transforming the country through the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ of President Tinubu.
“Mr President has shown commitment to prioritise national development and creating a more viable platform. That is winning members into the APC fold,” Oyintiloye said.
He also dismissed insinuations in some quarters that the wave of defections of members of the opposition parties to APC could lead to a one-party system in the country.
He further said, “How can the wave of defections to the ruling party lead to a party system when we still have more than 60 registered political parties in the country?
“Rather than opposition parties blaming the president or ruling party, they must develop a robust strategy to check the trend through a better internal democratic process by allowing dissent, transparent primaries, and all-inclusive decision-making within the party structure. This will discourage defections of politicians from their various parties.”
To consolidate the gains, Oyintiloye harped on the need by the APC to strengthen internal democracy within its fold to protect the current members and manage the defectors to avoid implosion as a result of the defection.
He warned that those opposition members coming in should not displace loyal APC faithful who have laboured to build the party over the years.
