Obi, ADC, Dickson rail against spate of defections to APC

•Nobody tin seizure South East with defections, says Peter Obi
•Tinubu’s one-party authorities unfolding — ADC
•I stay firmly with PDP—Dickson
•3 much PDP govs’ll soon resign — Fayose

By Henry Umoru, Luminous Jannamike & John Alechenu

Abuja—The statesmanlike campaigner of Labour Party successful the 2023 election, Peter Obi, African Democratic Congress, ADC, and the legislator representing Bayelsa West, Seriake Dickson, yesterday railed the spate of defection of governors and lawmakers from different parties, peculiarly Peoples Demcratic Party, PDP, to ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

Recall that politician of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, had connected Tuesday defected to the APC with members of the authorities enforcement council, portion his workfellow successful Bayelsa State, Douye Diri, yesterday resigned from the PDP with the 23 lawmakers successful the state, preparatory to their defection to APC.

Several senators and members of the House of Representatives person also, earlier now, defected to APC from the PDP, Labour Party, and New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP.

Reacting to the improvement yesterday, Peter Obi said the ongoing defections by authorities governors successful the South East would not warrant the governmental seizure of the zone.

In a connection released by his media team, Obi explained that Nigeria was presently a democracy, not nether subject rule, wherever states could beryllium “captured.”

According to him, the radical volition yet determine wherever to go, not governors oregon senators, and nary enactment volition seizure oregon triumph immoderate authorities conscionable due to the fact that it has a governor.

Speaking specifically connected the defection of Enugu State governor, Peter Mbah, and APC’s alleged determination to seizure the South-East for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election, Obi said: “Peter Mbah is simply a bully person of mine. And I judge that arsenic governor, helium indispensable person taken his determination based connected his ain governmental views and calculations.

“As for the alleged crippled to seizure the South-East, we are not successful a subject clip erstwhile you seizure people. You are a leader. You thin to bash the close things for them to travel you. So I don’t deliberation anybody is capturing anywhere. The authorities needs to bash much if it wants the radical to enactment it.”

Speaking connected the planned protestation for the merchandise of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu by governmental activist, Omoyele Sowore, the erstwhile Anambra State politician said: “I’ve ever been accordant connected Nnamdi Kanu’s situation.

“There was nary request for his apprehension successful the archetypal place. And I’ve ever said that for me, I volition consult, negociate and sermon with anybody who is agitating. I said it intelligibly and I stay there.

“I convey those who are really trying to bash oregon accidental what we’ve been saying for a agelong time. Go and cheque what I’ve said earlier 2020, 2022 and adjacent 2024. And present that it has gone to court, the rules should beryllium followed. Not conscionable for Nnamdi Kanu, but for each agitators crossed the nation. Let’s dialog with them”

“There’s thing incorrect with anybody agitating oregon saying let’s dialog with them. And immoderate we bash with them, let’s travel the rules. So I convey the organisers and those who are involved.”

On his expectations from the caller INEC chair, up of the 2027 election, Obi declared: “Very simple. He’s a Nigerian. We privation a caller Nigeria wherever elections volition beryllium free, just and credible and our radical who person the competence, capacity, compassion, quality and committedness to pb the federation are elected.

“It’s for the bully of everybody. None of america is going to beryllium present forever, and nary of america is going to beryllium successful his presumption forever. So immoderate presumption we find ourselves in, it’s to bash the close thing. So I privation him well.

“When helium (Amupitan) is confirmed, I volition congratulate him and archer him to cognize that 1 day, he’s going to permission that post. Let him guarantee that helium keeps his reputation.”

Obi was said to person spoken to reporters connected the sidelines of a run alongside the African Democratic Congress, ADC, chairmanship campaigner for Abuja Municipal Area Council, AMAC, successful the February 2026 FCT Council elections, Dr Moses Paul, connected a sojourn to LEA Nursery/Primary School, Kapwa, a suburb of Abuja, saying acquisition was the bedrock of immoderate society.

He besides decried the dilapidated authorities of the school, noting that the schoolhouse furnishings was successful “irreparable conditions.”

Obi wondered wherefore a schoolhouse with implicit 200 pupils had nary toilet facilities, and promised to springiness the schoolhouse a facelift....