Dele Momodu, publisher of Ovation magazine and former presidential aspirant, has raised concerns about how the recent wave of political defections to the All Progressives Congress (APC) might be creating a misleading impression for President Bola Tinubu regarding public sentiment toward his administration.
During his appearance on Saturday’s edition of Soni Irabor Live on News Central, Momodu addressed the implications of Nigeria’s political migration culture and its effects on the perception of governance.
“If you are joining a new party, you should be able to tell us what that party has done for the people, but everywhere you turn in Nigeria, people are crying. I have never seen this level of bitterness,” he said.
The media mogul suggested that the continuous influx of politicians into the ruling party could be insulating the president from understanding the true economic challenges confronting ordinary citizens.
“I’m not sure that the president knows what is going on. If you see all the governors decamping to your party, won’t you think you are the greatest thing that happened to Nigeria? You can’t blame the man if he feels that way,” he said.
Momodu highlighted constitutional matters related to political defections, noting that existing legal provisions regarding party-switching are routinely disregarded across the political landscape.
“We’ve thrown our constitution into the Atlantic Ocean long ago. Any man who is tired of his political party should be ready to forfeit everything and take it in good faith,” Momodu said.
He expressed dismay at the inconsistent party loyalties demonstrated by many Nigerian politicians, characterizing this behavior as problematic for the country’s democratic development.
“You can wake up with APC, and in the evening, you are in the PDP. Then the following morning, you are back to APC,” he said.
Momodu’s observations follow similar remarks made Thursday by Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, former political adviser in the presidency, who described the APC as “a political refuge camp” overwhelmed by defectors either pursuing political appointments or attempting to evade legal scrutiny.
