Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, has dismissed suggestions that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is discouraging the defection of more state governors, insisting that the ruling party remains open to new entrants.
Governor Sule made the remarks on Thursday in an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he addressed growing concerns over the recent wave of defections to the APC.
Responding to questions about why the party [APC] appears eager to attract more governors and whether additional defections are imminent, Sule questioned the anxiety such movements generate within opposition parties.
“Why are they refusing them if they want to join? Why does the party [opposition] get panicked when another governor is leaving if the governor’s leaving doesn’t mean anything? Why will the governor’s leaving become a betrayal? Why will a governor leaving become a big problem if the governors will not make any impact?” Sule asked.
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He argued that the decision of any governor to defect should not be exaggerated, particularly if such a move does not significantly affect governance or political stability.
Sule disclosed that the APC recently “welcomed its 29th serving governor,” noting that Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang had attended a party meeting following his defection.
The Nasarawa governor added that this came after the party earlier received the Governor of Taraba State, who is expected to be formally welcomed in the coming days.
“As of yesterday, we welcomed the 29th governor—that is, the governor of Plateau State, to our meeting. It was the 28th after welcoming the governor of Taraba, who will be received officially in the next two days.
“These governors are actually going to be those who are selling the party, who are also selling themselves, and who are selling Mr. President. Most likely, a few more governors will join,” he said.
The Nasarawa governor, however, dismissed fears that the growing number of APC governors could turn Nigeria into a one-party state, describing such concerns as unfounded.
“There is no way all 36 governors will belong to one party. And even if that were to happen, Nigeria would still not become a one-party state. From all indications, that scenario is not even going to occur,” the governor said.
Looking ahead to the next general election, Sule expressed confidence in the APC’s electoral prospects, stating that the party’s chances in 2027 are significantly better than they were in 2023.
He argued that the 2027 election will not be a contest between the APC and the people but will be a contest between candidates.”
Wave Of Defections
Since President Bola Tinubu assumed office in May 2023, the APC has recorded an influx of serving governors from opposition parties, with the trend gaining momentum in 2025 and also recently.
Among those who have defected to the ruling party are Abba Yusuf of Kano State from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP); Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers, Peter Mbah of Enugu, Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom, Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta, Douye Diri of Bayelsa, and Agbu Kefas of Taraba State, all from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Most recently, Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang formally defected from the PDP to the APC on Tuesday, bringing the number of APC governors to 29.
The defections have largely been linked to “internal crises” within opposition parties. However, these political shifts have intensified debate over the shape of the forthcoming 2027 general elections.
