Key Points

• Peter Obi says defections can’t capture the South East.

• ADC warns defections to APC weaken Nigeria’s democracy.

• Dickson vows loyalty to PDP, rejecting one-party dominance.

The opposition camp is pushing back hard against what it sees as a political flood toward the All Progressives Congress.

Labour Party’s Peter Obi, the African Democratic Congress, and Senator Seriake Dickson say the ruling party’s growing list of new members looks more like an attempt to erase competition than a show of strength.

Obi said no political party could “capture” the South East through defections. He reminded his supporters that Nigeria runs a democracy, not a system where states can be seized by political alignment.

“People decide where to go. Not governors or senators,” Obi said. “Peter Mbah is my friend, but his decision to join APC is his choice. The truth is, nobody can capture the South East. Leadership means earning trust, not taking control.”

He added that true political progress comes from improving lives, not changing party logos.

ADC says defections prove one-party state agenda

The African Democratic Congress believes the defections confirm what it’s been warning about for months.

In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party accused President Bola Tinubu of trying to turn Nigeria into a one-party state.

“The defections by Enugu and Bayelsa governors show Tinubu’s plan is working. It’s a dangerous path for democracy,” the statement said.

The ADC said the governors abandoned their citizens for personal gain, while the APC celebrated what it called “political expansion.”

The party argued that these moves weaken Nigeria’s opposition and rob voters of real alternatives.

Abdullahi said the Tinubu administration had failed on key fronts like security, the economy, and social welfare.

He warned that the 2027 election would be a test of whether Nigerians still have a functioning democracy.

“People are paying the price daily. Food prices are higher. Jobs are gone. The government’s failure is obvious,” he said.

Dickson vows to stay in PDP despite pressure

Former Bayelsa governor Seriake Dickson has rejected the wave of defections. He said he’ll stay in the PDP and continue to defend multiparty democracy.

Speaking with reporters in Abuja, Dickson described the defections as “sad” and “ridiculous.”

He said Nigerian politicians jump parties too easily, unlike their counterparts in Ghana who stay loyal even after losing elections.

“I remain where I’ve always been, in the PDP,” he said. “If we lose opposition in this country, we lose democracy itself. What’s left becomes dictatorship.”

Dickson confirmed that Bayelsa Governor Douye Diri consulted him several times before leaving the PDP but said he saw no reason for the move.

“He’s a second-term governor. There was no compelling reason to defect,” Dickson said.

He urged PDP leaders to fix their internal problems instead of abandoning ship.

Meanwhile, former Ekiti State governor Ayodele Fayose told Channels TV that three more PDP governors may soon resign, leaving only five in the opposition.

He dismissed claims that President Tinubu was coercing governors to defect, saying the crisis was “homegrown.”