APC Faces Internal Storm as Senior Lawmaker Sounds Alarm
Senior lawmaker Senator Ali Ndume has issued a stark warning to the ruling All Progressives Congress, cautioning that the party risks a major crisis ahead of the 2027 elections due to mass defections from opposition parties.
The Borno South senator raised these concerns while speaking at the late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe Annual Award Lecture held at NICON Luxury Hotel in Abuja on Sunday night. During the event, Ndume received recognition as Most Outstanding Legislator and Advocate of National Unity.
Defection Wave Creates Political Imbalance
Recent weeks have witnessed significant political shifts as several prominent opposition figures crossed to the ruling party. Governors Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom, Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta, Peter Mbah of Enugu, and Douye Diri of Bayelsa have all abandoned the Peoples Democratic Party for the APC.
The defection trend has substantially strengthened the ruling party's position, giving it a two-thirds majority in both chambers of the National Assembly. Former Kogi governor Captain Idris Wada also recently joined the APC at a ceremony in Lokoja, further consolidating the party's dominance in the state.
Empty Cargo Warning: Quality Over Quantity
While acknowledging the numerical advantage gained from these defections, Senator Ndume expressed serious reservations about their qualitative value to the party. "I have warned that the APC is becoming overloaded," the senator stated during his address.
He employed a powerful maritime analogy to illustrate his concern: "When you overload a ship, especially with empty cargo, it risks capsizing. If it capsizes, the owner of the ship will face a bigger problem."
Ndume specifically criticized the automatic elevation of defecting governors to party leadership positions in their states, noting that "some governors join and automatically become leaders of the party in their states, yet they remain silent and add no value."
Broader Political Context and Concerns
The senator contextualized the defection wave by noting that "the PDP is struggling to play the opposition role," while emphasizing that the APC isn't actively recruiting these defectors. "They come because their house is on fire," he remarked, suggesting internal crises within opposition parties are driving the exodus.
Despite his criticisms, Ndume urged Nigerians to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration. However, he also expressed concerns about the capacity of some ministers and presidential aides, suggesting they lack the necessary skills to effectively deliver on their mandates.
The event also featured remarks from Mrs Dame Azikiwe, who called on contemporary public office holders to emulate the selfless service demonstrated by First Republic leaders like her late husband.
The warning comes amid ongoing political realignments across the Nigerian landscape. Just days earlier, thirteen NNPP House of Representatives members had denied rumors of planned defections, though two of their colleagues from Kano had formally joined the APC during plenary sessions.
