President Bola Tinubu has dismissed allegations that he is responsible for the wave of defections from opposition parties to the ruling All Progressives Congress, insisting he possesses no weapon to force anyone into switching camps.
The President made the remarks on Wednesday during an interfaith Iftar with senators at the Presidential Villa, where he addressed growing criticisms that his administration is systematically weakening opposition parties.
“Critics must talk. When they accused me of killing the opposition, but I didn’t have a gun. I could have given myself a licence when I have the authority,” Tinubu stated.
The President rejected accusations of wrongdoing, maintaining that he has neither coerced nor pressured any politician to abandon their political platforms. He, however, noted that he could not fault those who chose to defect, likening their decisions to passengers abandoning a “sinking ship.”
“What we have faced in the challenging period of this country, the terrorism and banditry, is causing us havoc,” Tinubu added, pointing to major national security challenges as contributing factors to the current political tensions.
The President urged political leaders across party lines to prioritise national unity in line with the vision of Nigeria’s founding fathers. He stressed that constitutional democracy is designed to foster cooperation rather than conflict among political actors.
“And we should pull together, unite in a way that our forefathers contemplated to bring about a constitutional democracy and pull us together. They didn’t say we should fight. It’s a good thing that we are working in harmony,” Tinubu said.
Discussion about this post