Former House of Representatives member and ex-presidential adviser, Dr. Usman Bugaje, has accused Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of systematically luring members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with financial incentives and political pressure.
Speaking in an interview with Arise News, Bugaje alleged that defections from the PDP to the APC are primarily driven by monetary inducements and, in some cases, threats related to investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
“The APC is basically using money to buy off PDP members,” Bugaje said. “Some say it’s a carrot and stick approach—the money being the carrot. If there are EFCC cases, they might use that as the stick. But the essential reason for these defections is money.”
His comments come in the wake of a major political shift in Delta State, where Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and former Vice Presidential candidate Ifeanyi Okowa, along with several National Assembly members, state lawmakers, and local government chairmen, officially joined the APC.
Reacting to the development, the PDP’s acting national chairman, Umar Damagum, admitted the party did not anticipate the mass defection. However, he maintained that the 2027 general election would not be about party affiliations, but a battle between Nigerians and the APC, stressing that the people will seize the opportunity to punish the ruling party for the hardship inflicted on the nation.
Bugaje, however, expressed doubt over the PDP’s capacity to challenge the APC, arguing that the party had long ceased to function as a credible opposition.
“There has not been any real opposition since Minister Wike’s actions fractured the PDP,” he said. “The party missed its chance to play a meaningful opposition role. Just look at how PDP lawmakers voted on key national issues like emergency rule and budgetary matters. They’ve become largely complicit.”
He warned that the dominance of money in Nigerian politics threatens the future of democracy, adding, “As long as money remains the determining factor in our politics, democracy is essentially dead.”
Bugaje’s remarks highlight growing concerns over the integrity of Nigeria’s democratic process as the country edges toward another critical election cycle.
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