Defections: Tambuwal engages APC in war of words

The All Progressives Congress (APC) and a former governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, have exchanged verbal blows over recent defections to the ruling party.

Mr Tambuwal, who currently represents the Sokoto South district in the Senate, said those defecting to the ruling APC were lured with “stomach infrastructure”, a euphemism for personal gains purposes.

He stated this on Saturday in Kaduna after a North-west zonal meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The PDP recently lost many topshots to the APC in Kaduna State. Governor Uba Sani received the decampees at a ceremony in Kaduna on the same day that Mr Tambuwal made his remarks.

The big-name defectors include two former senators, Danjuma Laah and Shehu Sani, a former governor, Ramalan Yero, the governorship candidate of the New Nigeria People Party (NNPP) in the 2023 elections in the state, Suleiman Hunkuyi, and some federal and state lawmakers.

But the former Sokoto governor said no politician with a conscience would join the APC. He said the current economic situation in the country makes membership of the ruling APC unattractive.

“People leave parties for certain reasons or for different reasons, but what I have been observing is that defections are not based on the interest of the people but based on stomach infrastructure.

“If you are talking about defecting in the interest of the people, I believe no one can go to the APC.

“The current economic doldrum caused by APC has driven Nigerians into hardship across the country, and with the dismal performance of the Tinubu administration, there is nothing attractive outside stomach infrastructure,” Mr Tambuwal said.

Reacting, the APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, described Mr Tambuwal as a notorious and vainglorious party defector.

The APC spokesperson said, “Evidently, his comments more aptly characterised his own convoluted record of defections from the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) to the Democratic People’s Party (DPP) in 2007 and back to ANPP and then off to the PDP, and decamping in 2014 to APC and finally crawling back to PDP, ignominiously, in 2018.

“By his assertions, Tambuwal’s itinerant defections were in chase of ‘stomach infrastructure’, purely self-serving and without any conscience. A wandering politician like Tambuwal lacks the moral turpitude to comment on the intentions of politicians who have defected from a crisis-ridden PDP to our great Party.

“Contrary to Tambuwal’s jibe, members of the PDP are joining APC, ostensibly, to identify with President Bola Tinubu’s bold economic reform agenda in the face of growing and undeniable positive indications of a resurgent Nigeria. Many of the defectors have offered this as the reason for their defection, quite apart from the fact that the PDP is in a state of bedlam, and is now an unrecognisable shadow of its old self,” Mr Morka stated.

Tambuwal fires back

However, Mr Tambuwal fired back on Monday through a statement by Michael Abimboye, a member of his media team.

Mr Abimboye said Mr Morka’s response “is a blatant attempt to silence opposition voices and divert public attention from the deepening crises facing Nigeria.”

He advised the administration to address “the pressing issues of economic hardship, insecurity, and governance failure.”

Also, he accused the APC of using “coercion, enticement, and intimidation to weaken the opposition and pave the way for one-party authoritarian rule.”

He said Mr Tambuwal’s warning serves as a wake-up call for Nigerians to reject “opportunistic politics and prioritise leadership defined by integrity, principle, and vision.

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“The APC’s attempt to frame recent defections as a result of President Tinubu’s so-called economic reforms is both misleading and insulting to Nigerians who continue to endure unprecedented hardship.

“The reality under this administration is grim. Inflation has soared, pushing the cost of living beyond the reach of millions, while insecurity has worsened, turning homes, farms, and highways into danger zones.

“Unemployment rates continue to rise, with countless businesses shutting down, leaving many in despair and deepening the scourge of poverty. Given these dire conditions, can those defecting to the APC genuinely tell Nigerians that life has improved under this administration? The answer is a resounding no,” Mr Abimboye said.

“These defections are not a testament to APC’s good governance but rather a reflection of the desperation for survival amid economic distress. While the APC hides behind false narratives of economic recovery, ordinary Nigerians are struggling under the weight of hardship.

“Foreign reserves and trade surpluses mean little when citizens cannot afford food, shelter, and healthcare. This administration has replaced governance with propaganda, hoping to deceive Nigerians into ignoring their suffering.”