Founder of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Chekwas Okorie, has claimed that the fear of investigation and prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is driving a wave of defections by politicians into the APC. Okorie, who spoke in an interview with journalists in Abuja on Monday, said many politicians crossing over to the ruling party are doing so not out of ideological conviction or support for President Bola Tinubu’s policies, but to shield themselves from possible corruption probes. According to him, “What we are seeing today is not an ideological alignment but a survival strategy. A lot of politicians are defecting to the APC because they believe being in the ruling party offers some form of protection from the EFCC.”
The APC stalwart warned that such politically motivated defections could undermine the credibility of the country’s democracy if not checked. He argued that Nigeria’s political space has become too transactional, with loyalty often determined by fear or personal gain rather than national interest. Okorie urged President Tinubu to ensure that anti-corruption institutions remain independent and are not used as instruments of political intimidation or coercion. He said, “The EFCC should be seen as an impartial agency fighting corruption, not as a weapon to threaten opposition politicians into submission. Once people begin to see it that way, they will continue to switch parties to save themselves.”
The veteran politician, who founded APGA in 2002 before later joining the APC, also lamented that the rate of defections from opposition parties is weakening democratic opposition and stifling political competition. He called on party leaders and the National Assembly to consider reforms that will discourage opportunistic defections and strengthen internal democracy across political parties. “Party membership should be driven by shared values and ideology, not fear of arrest,” Okorie added.
