Defections to Ruling Party Amputate Democracy — ADC Chieftain, Ladan Salihu

A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Ladan Salihu, has warned that Nigeria’s democracy suffers severe damage each time a sitting governor defects to the ruling party.

Salihu made this assertion on Wednesday while speaking on The Morning Brief, a Channels Television programme monitored by Journalists.

He was reacting to the recent wave of defections by governors, including Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah and his Bayelsa counterpart, Douye Diri, both of whom dumped the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

While Mbah formally joined the All Progressives Congress, APC, Governor Diri is yet to declare his next political move.

Expressing deep concern over the development, Salihu said such defections threaten the foundation of Nigeria’s democracy and push the country closer to becoming a one-party state.

“I have always raised my voice on the issue of Nigeria gravitating towards a one-party state. Each passing day, my worries are validated by the kind of issues you see with respect to defections,” he said.

“When a governor defects from a party to the ruling party, each time such defections happen, the arms of democracy are amputated. It should be a thing of concern to all of us.”

Salihu called for urgent political reforms to strengthen party ideology, accountability, and loyalty, warning that continued defections could erode public confidence in the democratic process.