The lawmaker representing Abia South Senatorial District, Enyinnaya Abaribe, has ruled out any possibility of defecting to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), amid a recent wave of defections to the party.
Abaribe made the declaration on Monday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, noting that the political realignments by several governors do not alter his stance. Recently, the governors of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Enugu, Delta, Rivers, and Taraba states left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the APC.
“If there’s anybody that’s going to defect to APC, I think I should be the very last one. By the time I defect, it means there will be no political parties left in Nigeria, including the APC,” he said.
“Now ask yourself, in all the states where there are defections, what is going on there? These governors were in the opposition and worked against Tinubu in the 2023 general elections. Then, all of a sudden, they defect, and you hand over the party to them.”
Abaribe also criticised the current administration, citing the economic hardship and insecurity facing Nigerians. He expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu would not win re-election in 2027.
“Everybody loses elections, and you will see when the time comes. He will lose in 2027 because I know what Nigerians are feeling outside,” he said. “Tinubu never won the 2023 election, and everybody knows it. But we said fine, he has been declared the winner, no problem. We acknowledge him as president, but we are going to meet him in the field, and I will see how he is going to cobble together what will make him win again. It won’t work because this time everybody will be ready. It will no longer be an announcement at 3 a.m. before people wake up in the morning. This time, people are ready, we are ready, and the masses are even more ready.”
The senator questioned where Tinubu would secure votes given the collapsed economy and ongoing security challenges, adding that the current conditions have strengthened the resolve of Nigerians to prevent a second term for the president.
