Wave of defections to APC exposes opposition weakness, says Shettima

By Kunle Sanni –

Vice President Kashim Shettima has said that the growing number of politicians defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from other parties reflects widening cracks within the opposition and underscores the ruling party’s increasing strength across Nigeria.

Shettima, who represented President Bola Tinubu, made the remark on Tuesday in Enugu during a grand reception held to formally welcome Governor Peter Mbah, members of his cabinet, and thousands of supporters into the APC.

Speaking before a massive crowd at Michael Okpara Square, the Vice President described the defection as “an extraordinary endorsement of the APC’s collective vision and leadership.”

“What the opposition has failed to do is look into the mirror to ask why the APC remains the preferred destination of Nigeria’s most visionary political actors,” Shettima said. “Their departures reveal the cracks in the walls they built and the strength of the bridges we have constructed.”

He noted that President Tinubu’s inclusive leadership style, capacity to listen, and commitment to meritocracy have made the APC “the most formidable political family in Africa.”

“President Tinubu is a man of all people, whose word is his bond. His sense of inclusion and rare capacity to listen have united reformists and progressives under one banner,” Shettima stated.

Welcoming Governor Mbah to the ruling party, the Vice President praised him for his achievements in office and described his defection as a homecoming.

“With warmth and humour, let me say this — Your Excellency, you have always been one of us. I am convinced that you had a broom hidden in your umbrella all these years,” Shettima said, drawing laughter from the crowd. “Now that you’ve chosen the right time to come home, we are overjoyed that you are here to strengthen our party and add your voice to the chorus of progress.”