Tinubu denies weakening opposition, says defections not forced
President Bola Tinubu has dismissed claims that his administration is deliberately weakening opposition parties, insisting he has not used state power to compel defections or silence dissent.
The president spoke during an interfaith Iftar with senators at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, responding to criticism that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has expanded its ranks through alleged pressure on opposition figures.
“Critics must talk. When they accused me of killing the opposition, but I didn’t have a gun. I could have given myself a licence when I have the authority,” Tinubu said.
His remarks come amid a string of high-profile defections from opposition parties to the APC, developments that have fuelled accusations that the political landscape is being tilted in favour of the ruling party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Tinubu rejected suggestions of coercion, maintaining that lawmakers and political actors who left their former parties did so of their own accord.
“But I can’t blame anybody for jumping out of a sinking ship if they did,” he said, suggesting that internal divisions and instability within opposition parties were responsible for the movement.
The president also referred to Nigeria’s broader security challenges, including terrorism and banditry, describing them as pressures affecting the nation’s political and social environment.
“What we have faced in the challenging period of this country, the terrorism and banditry, is causing us havoc,” he said.
Calling for unity across party lines, Tinubu urged political leaders to prioritise national cohesion over partisan conflict. He said Nigeria’s constitutional democracy was designed to foster cooperation rather than perpetual rivalry.
“And we should pull together, unite in a way that our forefathers contemplated to bring about a constitutional democracy and pull us together. They didn’t say we should fight. It’s a good thing that we are working in harmony,” he added.
The presidency has repeatedly denied allegations of intimidation or inducement of opposition figures, arguing that political realignments are a normal feature of democratic systems. Critics, however, maintain that the growing dominance of the APC risks shrinking democratic space if not carefully managed.