As Nigeria edges toward the midpoint of President Bola Tinubu’s first term, a surge in defections to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has sparked concerns of a creeping one-party state. But public affairs analyst and Country First Movement convener, Chris Nwakobia, says what looks like political dominance is actually panic—and Nigerians won’t stand for it.
Appearing Friday on The Morning Show on ARISE News, Nwakobia took aim at what he described as a fear-driven agenda by the Tinubu administration to neutralize opposition through orchestrated defections and premature endorsements.
“The APC is in panic mode,” he said. “A government confident in its performance doesn’t need to stage defections or start campaigning for 2027 less than two years in.”
He was responding to President Tinubu’s recent comment welcoming opposition members into the APC as joining the “winning team” and vowing to “sweep them clean.” Nwakobia interpreted the statement as a not-so-subtle nod to authoritarianism.
“That’s not reform talk. That’s domination. And it shows how jittery they are,” he added. “When sycophants surround a leader, the truth is lost. But Nigerians are watching—and resisting.”
Nwakobia, a former APC insider who helped build the party’s 2015 campaign machinery, said he broke with the party in 2022 when it abandoned its promises of change.
“They traded reform for propaganda,” he said. “And now they’re trading democracy for control.”
On the legality of defections, Nwakobia criticized lawmakers who switch parties without resigning their seats. “The constitution is clear—your mandate belongs to your party. Factional claims are being abused,” he argued.
He also questioned the benefits APC defectors are chasing. “Has APC governance delivered in Borno, Benue, or Lagos? Nigerians are worse off. Insecurity is worse. The economy is worse. That’s why they’re desperate for endorsements.”
Asked whether the opposition is too weak to resist, Nwakobia countered: “The real opposition today is the Nigerian people. And their power is greater than any party machine.”
He welcomed reports of talks between opposition leaders like Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Nasir El-Rufai, Rotimi Amaechi, and Rabiu Kwankwaso to form a coalition, but insisted real change must be citizen-led.
“This moment is about reclaiming democracy. Not just from APC—but from a political class united by self-interest,” he said.
As 2027 approaches, Nwakobia issued a warning and a call to action: “This regime may want a one-party state, but Nigerians won’t have it. We must organize, not agonize. The resistance is rising.”