Defections alone won’t guarantee votes in South-South – APC ex-official, Nabena

Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Honourable Yekeen Nabena, has cautioned President Bola Tinubu not to assume that recent defections of governors from opposition parties in the South-South will automatically translate into votes for the ruling party.

Speaking in Abuja, Nabena, a politician from Bayelsa State, said the influx of defecting governors could create internal tensions within the APC if not managed carefully.

“These governors that are coming, are they coming genuinely or with their own motives? Some are almost losing elections in their states. We must look closely at who they are and what they are bringing to the party,” he said.

He cited Bayelsa, Delta, and Enugu states as examples where APC either faces strong opposition presence or internal party complexities.

Nabena warned that integrating these defectors could disrupt existing party structures, particularly in states where APC already has a strong base.
He also expressed concerns over potential conflicts among party leaders in the states, highlighting the need for careful coordination to avoid clashes between incoming governors and existing local structures.

“Coming isn’t the problem; managing them with the people on ground already is. If not handled well, it could lead to confusion and implosion within the party,” he said.

On the capacity of the APC national secretariat to harmonize the party, Nabena said it lacked the authority and structure to effectively bring all factions together, pointing to previous instances where appointed leaders failed to unify party members.

Defections alone won’t guarantee votes in South-South – APC ex-official, Nabena