A former member of the House of Representatives and one-time aide to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, Hon. Lumumba Dah Adeh, at the weekend dismissed claims that recent defections into the All Progressives Congress (APC) by members of opposition parties were influenced by coercion or pressure, insisting that most politicians join the party out of conviction.

Adeh, in an interview at the weekend, said defections are not new in Nigeria’s democracy, noting that similar movements occurred during the early years of the Fourth Republic when many politicians defected to the then-dominant Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“Well, I don’t think that’s the proper way to analyse the situation,” he said. “Defections among governors didn’t start with the APC. You will recall that in 1999, when this democratic dispensation began, the three principal parties were the PDP, the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP), and the Alliance for Democracy (AD). By the end of President Obasanjo’s first term, the PDP had become dominant because many governors and even national leaders had defected to it. They were not forced to join; they defected based on personal convictions. So, if defections weren’t viewed as coercion, then, I don’t see why they should be now, unless, of course, there is concrete evidence to support such a claim.”

He added that the APC’s current stability and national spread have made it attractive to politicians seeking a viable political platform.

“Looking at it critically, the APC remains the major and most stable political party in the country at the moment. This alone is enough to attract people from other political parties to the APC fold,” he said.

Responding to the argument that today’s defections are driven more by personal interest than ideology, Adeh maintained that politics everywhere is an evolving process.

“People used to describe Nigeria’s democracy as ‘nascent’. But how many years does it take for democracy to mature? Even in America, after over 200 years, democracy is still a work in progress. Unless you have empirical evidence showing governors are being coerced, I believe most of them move because they feel more comfortable with the APC,” he said.

On fears that Nigeria may be heading towards a one-party state, Adeh dismissed such concerns as unfounded.

“I don’t think so. I have never experienced a one-party state; most of that talk is theoretical. It is always better for democracy when there is a viable opposition, but defections alone don’t make a country a one-party state,” he stated.

He acknowledged the lack of ideological clarity in Nigeria’s political system, attributing it to the country’s democratic evolution.

“Yes, I absolutely agree that our politics lacks ideology. Maybe it is part of our democratic evolution. If parties had strong ideological foundations, moving from one to another would not be so easy,” he noted.

On the African Democratic Congress (ADC)’s claim that it would unseat the APC in 2027, Adeh said the party poses no real threat.

“If everyone is moving to the APC, how can another party be a real threat? The ADC has no structure anywhere in the country,” he asserted.

Discussing the political outlook in Plateau State, Adeh expressed optimism that the APC stands a strong chance in the 2027 elections.

“We narrowly lost the 2023 governorship election—by just a whisker. Those cracks have since been sealed, and the party is now united. So, 2027 will be a different ball game entirely,” he said.

Adeh also commended recent efforts by the military to combat insecurity, particularly the revised rules of engagement which empower security agencies to defend themselves. “That is a step in the right direction, and it’s probably why the situation is improving,” he said.

He urged the government at all levels to address the root causes of insecurity through job creation.

“My advice applies not only to the federal government but also to state and local governments: create employment. There are too many idle young people. When youths are unemployed, they become easy targets for recruitment into criminal activities,” Adeh warned.

He stressed that Nigeria’s political and security challenges require context-specific solutions.

“Each state or region must assess its peculiar circumstances and adopt the approach that works best for it. If adopting an amnesty programme or another unique method will bring peace, and it remains within the law, then I have no problem with that,” he said.