The All Progressives Congress (APC) has fired back at former Sokoto State Governor and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader, Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, following his remarks criticizing defections to the ruling party.
During a PDP North West Zonal meeting on Saturday, Tambuwal lamented the trend of party members leaving for the APC, accusing defectors of prioritizing personal gain over principles.
“I believe that no one with a conscience will join the APC. People leave parties for different reasons, but what I have been observing in recent times are defections not based on the interest of the people but on stomach infrastructure,” he stated.
In response, APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka issued a statement on Sunday, accusing Tambuwal of hypocrisy, given his own history of party switching.
Morka described Tambuwal as a “notorious and vainglorious party defector” who lacks the moral authority to condemn others.
“Tambuwal’s itinerant defections—from the ANPP to the DPP in 2007, back to the ANPP, then the PDP, before moving to the APC in 2014 and returning to the PDP in 2018—make his comments ironic,” the statement read.
The APC defended recent defections from the PDP, attributing them to growing support for President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms.
The ruling party highlighted achievements such as surpassing Nigeria’s OPEC oil production quota, increased foreign investments, and a stronger stock market as key reasons why politicians are aligning with the APC.
Rather than criticizing defectors, the APC urged Tambuwal and other PDP leaders to take responsibility for their party’s struggles.
“Instead of begrudging citizens for exercising their fundamental freedom of association, Tambuwal and political villains like former Vice President Atiku Abubakar should accept responsibility for the political carnage in the PDP and maintain a humble disposition,” the statement concluded.
