LAGOS, NIGERIA — Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, the founder and Board of Trustees Chairman of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), has dismissed claims that President Bola Tinubu is coercing opposition politicians to join the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking in Lagos on Friday, Aniebonam asserted that recent defections are voluntary choices, often made by underperforming governors seeking to shield themselves from scrutiny.
“We have yet to see politicians who defected to the APC or any other political party at gunpoint; it is their personal conviction and choice,” he stated.
Aniebonam rejected the growing narrative that Nigeria is drifting towards a one-party state, pointing out that 18 registered political parties still exist. “To claim that Nigeria is tilting to a one-party state is unfounded because INEC has not deregistered any of the existing political parties,” he added.
Instead, the NNPP leader suggested that the wave of defections is driven by poor governance at the state level.
“Many of these governors are not doing much for their states, and they think that running into the APC will provide them a second opportunity and cover from investigation,” he claimed. He also warned the APC to be cautious about the influx of new members, noting, “It is easier to fight from within than from outside.”
Aniebonam urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate any governor suspected of embezzling state funds, regardless of party affiliation. He advised President Tinubu to continue focusing on popular policies that benefit Nigerians while encouraging institutions like INEC and the judiciary to uphold their constitutional mandates.
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