Chairman of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas (Pi-CNG), Ismaeel Ahmed, has stated that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is not actively seeking new members despite the wave of defections into the party.
Ahmed made the remarks on Monday during an appearance on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television, where he addressed the growing trend of politicians switching allegiance to the APC.
His comments come amid a surge in high-profile defections, including several state governors, with Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State recently joining the ruling party. Currently, Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and Bala Mohammed remain among the few governors still aligned with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), although speculation persists about possible further defections.
Reacting to the trend, Ahmed emphasized that the APC is not deliberately working to weaken opposition parties by encouraging defections.
“We don’t go out of our way looking for people to come just because they want to defect or because we want to weaken the opposition,” he said.
While acknowledging that the party welcomes new entrants, Ahmed expressed personal reservations about the culture of political defections, noting that it undermines democratic values.
“I am not a fan of defectors in political parties. The political and democratic spirit in me does not appreciate defections,” he added.
He, however, did not hold back in his criticism of opposition parties, describing them as ineffective and unable to capitalize on key national issues.
“I thought, personally, that the opposition was just unbelievably weak. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. They couldn’t take advantage of so many issues to better their lots,” Ahmed said.
His remarks highlight growing concerns about the strength of Nigeria’s opposition as the country gradually builds momentum toward the 2027 general elections.
