President Tinubu dismissed accusations of authoritarianism, stating that organizing or strengthening opposition parties is not part of his job.
President Bola Tinubu has rejected opposition claims of coercing defections, asserting that strengthening rival parties falls outside his mandate. In a Sunday statement by aide Bayo Onanuga, he declared:
“It is not President Tinubu’s job to organise opposition parties. Allegations of a one-party state are products of idle minds.”
The remarks follow Akwa Ibom Governor Umo Eno and Delta’s political leadership joining the APC. Tinubu framed defections as routine, citing ex-Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s move to the SDP as proof of opposition “hypocrisy.”
“Politicians changing parties isn’t new,” the statement stated, further stating that defections to APC are normal politics, not a threat to democracy.