NNPP founder Dr. Boniface Aniebonam says recent defections to the APC are voluntary, dismissing claims that President Tinubu is coercing politicians or turning Nigeria into a one-party state.
The founder and chairman of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) Board of Trustees, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, says politicians joining the All Progressives Congress (APC) are doing so by choice, not under pressure from President Bola Tinubu.
Speaking on Friday in Lagos, Aniebonam dismissed claims that Tinubu is coercing opposition figures or trying to turn Nigeria into a one-party state.
“We have not seen anyone defecting at gunpoint. They do so based on their personal convictions,” he said.
He maintained that Nigeria remains a multi-party democracy with 18 registered parties.
“Even if all PDP governors join APC, that doesn’t make Nigeria a one-party state,” he added.
Aniebonam accused some governors of defecting to avoid scrutiny over poor performance and urged the EFCC to probe any mismanagement of state funds.
He also called on INEC and the judiciary to uphold their duties, saying Nigerians are now politically aware and ready to hold leaders accountable.