- Aminu Yakudima expresses concern over frequent opposition defections to ruling party after general elections, threatening democracy
- Yakudima emphasizes the need to halt this trend, stating it weakens opposition, fosters bad governance, and undermines democratic vibrancy
A founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Aminu Yakudima, has expressed concern over the frequent defection of opposition leaders and members to the ruling party after every general election, stating that it threatens the country’s democracy.
Yesterday, Yakudima emphasized that this trend must be halted as it undermines the strength of the opposition and fosters bad governance.
Recently, numerous opposition leaders, including serving senators, former governorship candidates, senatorial candidates, former chairmen of opposition parties, former governors, and others, have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) after the 2023 general elections. Similar occurrences were observed in 2019 and 2015.
Yakudima, who also functions as a political analyst, remarked, “It is not a healthy development for democracy at all. Opposition is fundamental because it gives democracy its vibrancy, and there is no good governance without opposition.
“This is because you have to deploy the rudiments of checks and balances and scrutinize policies as they are being promulgated before they are implemented so that you can study and then give some input.
“Trying to keep the government on its toes and trying to make sure that the government is doing the right thing is called opposition. But if people continue to defect, going in tandem with the will of the people in power means the opposition will die a natural death.
“And if that happens, it is going to be bad governance at the end of the day, and then all that we dislike and impunity will continue to fester, and the citizens will be at the receiving end. And it is not palatable at all for the country.”