A former Benue State governorship aspirant and coordinator of the Conference of Minority Tribes, Okokwu Ogenyi, has warned that many defections to the All Progressives Congress (APC) are driven by personal political ambitions rather than ideological alignment.
Ogenyi, who also serves on the governing council for the Nigeria French Language Village, Badagry, Lagos, in an interview with DAILY POST, noted that while some politicians genuinely support the APC’s policies under President Tinubu, other are motivated by the need to secure re-election or protect their political interests.
“Some of the politicians defecting to one party or another are not doing so based on ideology. Many are acting out of personal interest, while others genuinely believe that President Tinubu has laid a solid foundation and want to join in building on it,” Ogenyi said.
He cited the recent defection of the Governor of Enugu State from the PDP to the APC as an example, adding that such moves are often about personal conviction and political calculation, rather than alignment with party ideology.
“While some people are joining for genuine reasons, others are doing so because they want to secure re-election tickets. The APC is a large family, and many see joining it as a way to protect their chances,” Ogenyi said.
He advised Nigerians to remain committed to their parties’ ideologies, stressing that mass defections could create internal conflicts if newcomers do not align with the progressive goals of their new party. Ogenyi added that political success is determined not by numbers but by performance, communication, and public trust.
“Defection increases a party’s numbers, but numbers alone don’t guarantee victory. What matters is the president’s and governors’ achievements and how well these are communicated to the people,” he added.