Lick your wounds don’t blame me – President Tinubu reacts to opposition criticism over defections

Lick your wounds don’t blame me – President Tinubu reacts to opposition criticism over defections

President Bola Tinubu has told the opposition elements in the country to lick their wounds and stop blaming him for their alleged gross incompetence to manage the affairs of their party.

The President also said politicians changing party affiliation is not new or peculiar to Nigeria, pointing out that in more advanced democracies, there are ready examples of notable politicians, statesmen and women who changed their parties.

He further stated that the accusations that the administration is moving towards authoritarianism are baseless and exaggerated, adding that democracy in the country is not in any way being said to be under threat.

The President, who spoke via a statement issued by his spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, wondered while the defection of some members of the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, like the immediate past governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, to the Social Democratic Party, SDP, should be celebrated, while the defection of some members of the opposition party should be condemned.

The statement titled: “Democracy strong and alive in Nigeria, ignore alarmists”, partly read: “We have read the alarming claims of disgruntled opposition figures, some partisan human rights crusaders and emergency defenders of democracy over recent defections of key members of opposition parties into the governing All Progressives Congress.

“The seismic shift caused by Akwa Ibom Governor Umo Eno’s open declaration of support for President Bola Tinubu, the defection of the Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, the former vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the last election, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, and the principal political actors in Delta and Rivers States certainly threw the opposition and their sympathisers into disarray.

“While the opposition elements are understandably heartbroken over the failure of their fabled grand coalition to gain traction, we find it disturbing that they resorted to peddling false allegations of promoting a one-party State against President Bola Tinubu, who is working very hard to reverse decades of economic mismanagement in our country.

“Contrary to the false claims in the propaganda materials in circulation across mainstream and social media, democracy is not under any threat in Nigeria. Accusations that the administration is moving towards authoritarianism are baseless and exaggerated.

“We must add that no policy, official action, or directive from the Presidency seeks to “dismantle democracy” or “weaken opposition or create a one-party state.” Accusations of bribery, blackmail, and the weaponisation of state institutions only exist in the idle minds of politicians and their agents who have failed in their assigned role of opposition and are fishing for scapegoats.”

The statement said ” the opposition cannot blame President Tinubu and the governing APC for their poor organisation, indiscipline, and gross incompetence in managing their affairs. It is certainly not part of President Tinubu’s job to organise or strengthen opposition parties.”

It further added: “We find it curious that those who celebrated the defection of the former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the formation of a regional grand coalition with the sole aim of defeating President Tinubu in the 2027 election are the same people shedding crocodile tears over Nigeria’s so-called drift to a one-party state and authoritarianism.