Former Senate Leader Warns APC Against Overcrowding as More Opposition Figures Defect
Former Senate Leader Ali Ndume has raised concerns over the increasing wave of defections from opposition parties to the ruling All Progressives Congress, cautioning that the influx could destabilise the party.
Ndume, who spoke on Sunday at the annual Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe Award Lecture in Abuja, noted that the APC is absorbing a growing number of governors and federal lawmakers without assessing their value or contribution to the party’s growth.
Recent political shifts show the APC currently controls 25 state governments, with Taraba State Governor Agbu Kefas expected to formally leave the Peoples Democratic Party for the APC on Wednesday. In the National Assembly, the ruling party maintains a dominant position, holding 76 of the 109 seats in the Senate.
In his remarks after receiving the award for “Most Outstanding Legislature and Advocate of National Unity,” Ndume, who represents Borno South, said the APC risks internal strain if the trend continues unchecked.
According to him, many defectors contribute little to the party once they join, despite being accorded significant recognition and influence within state structures.
“I have warned that the APC is becoming overloaded. And when you overload a ship, especially with mostly empty cargo, it risks capsizing,” he said. “Many of those joining us add nothing. They remain silent, yet the party still allows governors who defect to automatically assume leadership in their states.”
Ndume likened the situation to religious conversions where new members immediately demand top leadership roles, adding that such tendencies create friction within the political system.
The senator, however, urged Nigerians to support the current administration as it works to address economic and security challenges. He praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to his campaign promises but criticised some ministers and presidential aides, describing them as lacking the capacity required for their positions.
“Our problem is not that the president is not leading. The problem is that one person cannot be captain, goalkeeper, and striker at the same time,” he said. He repeated earlier criticisms in which he labelled some officials as “kakistocrats and kleptocrats,” insisting that they must be removed for the government to make meaningful progress.
Earlier at the event, Dame Uche Azikiwe, widow of Nigeria’s first President, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, praised the organisers for sustaining her late husband’s legacy. She urged current public office holders to emulate the selflessness of First Republic leaders, including Obafemi Awolowo and Ahmadu Bello, whom she described as patriots who prioritised national unity over personal gain.
“They are long gone, but their legacies live on,” she said. “Leaders of the First Republic were selfless, unlike many today who focus on their pockets. I am always glad when people remember what Zik stood for.”
