Senate President Godswill Akpabio has said that several lawmakers are defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC) because they regard President Bola Tinubu as the father of Nigeria and a unifying figure across all political parties.
Akpabio stated this after leading two senators — Agom Jarigbe (Cross River North) and Kaila Samaila (Bauchi North) — to a meeting with President Tinubu at the State House, Abuja. Both lawmakers recently left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to join the APC.
Speaking to State House correspondents after the meeting, Akpabio said the senators’ defections were driven by patriotism and faith in Tinubu’s leadership and economic reforms.
“They (Jarigbe and Samaila) are Mr President’s children, and they are his supporters. The President is the father of the nation and the father of all political parties,” Akpabio said.
He explained that Tinubu’s policies, especially those focused on stabilising the economy and improving revenue generation, have inspired confidence among politicians from across the political spectrum.
“But interestingly, they joined the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on different political platforms, but as a result of Mr President’s policies that have turned things around economically and particularly in terms of revenue generation for the nation, they found it expedient to come and join to build Nigeria. Theirs is nothing but patriotism,” Akpabio added.
The Senate President noted that the increasing number of defections to the ruling APC demonstrates growing trust in the Tinubu administration’s capacity to deliver progress and unity nationwide.
