The All Progressives Congress has faulted the comment by the former Senate President Bukola Saraki that governors and leaders of the ruling party would soon defect to the Peoples Democratic Party.
Saraki had made the comment during his interview with Arise Television, saying that some APC members were concluding plans to defect to the main opposition PDP ahead of the 2023 general election.
He said: “There were certain governors that we already know that will leave. And we were not surprised that they defected to the APC. Since then, we have had some bigwigs that joined us. Also this week, there is a former governor that is going to join our party, the PDP.
“Aside from that, we know that some of the leaders in the ruling party will not defect early; rather, they will do it late. You saw that during the 2015 elections.
“So, keep watching. Nigerians will not be surprised when they begin to see some defections from the ruling party to the PDP.”
Responding to this, the National Secretary of APC Caretaker Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Senator John James Akpanudoedehe, said the former senate president was only dreaming and having wishful thinking.
He said: “As a political party, we don’t play to the gallery with opposition. We always speak the truth, especially when we are replying to a friend who can still join our party. Mind you, he (Senator Saraki) was one of the founding members of our party, who left for PDP because of power struggle.”
He added: “I want Nigerians to wait and see if what he says will come to pass. Some politicians are forum seekers. They jump from one place to another. All I will say is that Nigerians should watch and see if his (Saraki) prophesy will come to pass or not.
“APC is solid. The speculation of the gale of defections is best described as his (Saraki) imagination.”