A claimant to the founder and Board of Trustees Chair positions of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, has said that recent defections of politicians to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) are being made voluntarily and not under any form of pressure or coercion from President Bola Tinubu.
Aniebonam, who made the clarification in a statement on Thursday, said the wave of defections witnessed across the political landscape reflects individual choices driven by personal convictions and political alignment rather than presidential manipulation.
He explained that in a democratic setting, freedom of association is a constitutional right, allowing politicians to align with any party that best represents their interests and beliefs.
“Those who are joining the APC are doing so out of their own free will. Nobody is forcing them, and President Tinubu has nothing to do with their decisions,” Aniebonam stated. “Politics is about interest, and once your interest is no longer protected in one party, you are free to move to another.”
The NNPP founder urged Nigerians to avoid politicizing the trend of defections, noting that it is a normal feature of Nigeria’s evolving democracy. He also called on political parties to focus on strengthening internal democracy, building trust, and promoting good governance rather than blaming defections on external influence.
Aniebonam further emphasized that the NNPP remains committed to its founding ideals of justice, equity, and service to the people, adding that the party is open to genuine partnerships aimed at advancing Nigeria’s democratic development.
He reiterated his belief that President Tinubu is focused on governance and national transformation, not on orchestrating defections, stressing that the President “has more pressing responsibilities than interfering with the internal affairs of political parties.”
The remarks come amid a growing number of opposition figures joining the APC in recent weeks — a development that has stirred debates across the political scene about the motives and implications of the defections.
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