Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has said the opposition was increasingly becoming uneasy ahead of the 2027 general election as governors continue to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC), attributing the trend to the positive impact of reforms initiated by President Bola Tinubu.
He stated this during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme, monitored by The Sun Correspondent in Lafia yesterday.
He dismissed oppositions’ claims that the defection of governors does not confer electoral advantage on the ruling party, arguing that governors remain central actors in development and political mobilisation within their states.
Recalling the political realignment of 2014 when several Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors joined the APC, Sule said the move was pivotal to the election of former President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015. According to him, the current wave of defections follows a similar trajectory and signals growing strength for the APC ahead of 2027.
“The truth of the matter is that the more governors that you have, the more opportunities that you have. We have seen that clearly in 2014, after some PDP governors left the party to join the APC. That realignment helped a lot in ensuring that the late President Muhammadu Buhari got elected in 2015.
“Anybody who tells you that the more governors that you have, the less chances that you have, has a lot to learn about politics. Governors have influence and they play critical roles in determining political outcomes,” he said.
The governor rejected concerns that Nigeria is drifting towards a one-party state, maintaining that such fears were unfounded.
“As of Wednesday, we welcomed the 29th governor, that of Plateau State, to our meeting. These are governors who are selling the party, themselves and Mr President. There is no way all the 36 governors in the country would belong to a single political party. Even if that happens, Nigeria will never be a one-party state. We are 29 and counting, and most likely, a few more governors will join us,” he said.
According to him, the spate of defections has unsettled opposition parties, a situation he said contradicts their claims that governors wield little political influence.
“Why are they getting worked up if other governors are defecting to the APC? Why would a governor leaving become a betrayal or a big problem if governors have no influence?” he asked.
He linked the defections directly to the outcomes of President Tinubu’s economic reforms, noting that improved revenue flows to states have enabled governors to embark on visible development projects.
“If you go to every state in Nigeria, you will see major changes as a result of the improved revenue that these governors are getting. Every state you go, you see developments taking place. Who is providing these developments? The state governors, with the support of the Federal Government and the reforms initiated by President Tinubu,” he said.
He also dismissed the narrative that the 2027 presidential election would be a contest between the APC and Nigerians, insisting it would be between the Tinubu/Shettima ticket and opposition candidates.
“2027 is a contest between Tinubu/Shettima and all the other candidates from the opposition parties. It is not an election between the APC and Nigerians. Nigerians will vote for candidates who have made impacts in their lives,” he said.
He described oppositions’ criticisms as routine political rhetoric aimed at downplaying the achievements of the APC-led Federal Government.
The governor further revealed that at a recent APC meeting convened by the party’s National Working Committee, key decisions were taken on forthcoming congresses, the sale of nomination forms and the ongoing electronic registration of members.
