The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, says the growing wave of defections from opposition parties to the All Progressives Congress, APC, is a clear sign of cracks within the opposition and a testament to APC’s growing strength across Nigeria.
Speaking in Enugu while representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at a grand reception for Governor Peter Mbah and his supporters who joined the APC, the Vice President described the defection as an extraordinary endorsement of the ruling party’s collective vision and leadership.
He said the defections were not accidental but a reflection of the strong bridges of unity and inclusiveness built by the APC, contrasting with what he called “cracks in the walls” of opposition parties.
Senator Shettima noted that the APC continues to attract visionary political actors because it represents order, progress, and hope for Nigerians.
He emphasized that the governing party’s responsibility is not to fix the opposition but to provide Nigerians with a credible, transparent, and competent alternative anchored on integrity and performance.
Addressing a large crowd of supporters at Michael Okpara Square, the Vice President said the APC remains a political home where patriotism, ambition, and ideas find expression.
He described President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a leader whose inclusive style, capacity to listen, and belief in merit have made the APC the most formidable political family in Africa.
Senator Shettima jokingly remarked that Governor Mbah had always been a progressive at heart, saying he must have been “hiding a broom in his umbrella,” symbolizing his true political alignment all along.
The Vice President reminded the Governor that, as tradition demands, he is now the APC leader in Enugu State and urged him to rebuild the party from the grassroots to strengthen its foundation in the region.
He assured Governor Mbah of President Tinubu’s full support in advancing development and democratic dividends to the people of Enugu State.
Also speaking, APC National Chairman, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, commended the Governor’s achievements in education and infrastructure, describing him as a “progressive at heart.”
Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, both applauded Governor Mbah’s decision, noting that his defection marked a new political dawn for the South East.
Governor Peter Mbah, in his remarks, said his decision to join the APC marked the end of political isolation for Enugu and the beginning of full participation in national politics.
He added that his move was a collective decision of the state’s political family aimed at securing a stronger voice for the region at the national level.
Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, Governor Hope Uzodinma, welcomed Mbah and expressed optimism that his entry into the APC fold would further strengthen President Tinubu’s support base in the South East.
BELLO WAKILI
