The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has said the myriad of defections in the South-east to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) doers not mean political control of the region.
Obi, who spoke to newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday, said Nigeria is operating a democracy, not a military regime where states can be “captured”.
The former Anambra State governor added that power resides with the people and not governors or senators.
“The people will decide where to go, not governors or senators. No party will capture or win any state just because it has a governor,” Obi said in reaction to the recent wave of defections.
On the defection of Peter Mbah, governor of Enugu, to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Obi said, “Peter Mbah is a good friend of mine. I believe that as governor, he made his decision based on his own political views and calculations.”
“As for the alleged plan to capture the south-east, we’re not in a military era when people are captured,” he added.
“You are a leader. You tend to do the right things for them to follow you. So, I don’t think anybody is capturing anywhere.
“The government just needs to do more to earn people’s support.”
Critics have expressed fear that the wave of defections by governors and lawmakers to the APC could tilt the country towards a one-party dominance ahead of the 2027 elections.
