Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, National Chairman of Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), has said that the large number of political parties in the country creates obstacles for effective democratic governance.
Citing China as an example of unified political leadership driving development, Ganduje suggested that a single-party system could streamline governance in Nigeria.
Ganduje made the remarks following a meeting with President Bola Tinubu and three senators from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who are preparing to join the APC.
“If you look at China today, they operate a single-party system, yet China is now a global leader in driving the development of its people,” he said in a BBC Hausa report.
He added that if Nigerians decided to embrace such a system, “no one would fight against it.”
Ganduje said that the APC would welcome the idea if all parties in the country were to dissolve into the ruling party.
Ganduje announced that the PDP senators from Kebbi State had told the President of their decision to resign from their current party and rejoin the APC. He added that they are expected to formally announce their defection in the Senate next week, in accordance with constitutional requirements.
The senators—Adamu Aliero, Yahaya Abubakar Abdullahi, and Garba Maidoki—were seen meeting with President Tinubu shortly before the announcement. Their move follows recent high-profile defections, including that of former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, who had contested the 2023 presidential election as the PDP vice-presidential candidate.
Reacting to the latest defections, APC National Secretary Malam Bala Ibrahim told the BBC that the developments indicate a change in how the public views them.
He stated that those who previously claimed the APC was facing internal problems are now feeling awkward, as evidenced by some of them rejoining the party.
He further explained that this trend simply demonstrates that the APC’s policies are in line with democratic principles and represent the impartiality and organization necessary for a democracy.
Several politicians who left opposition parties have pointed to internal disagreements and instability within their former parties as reasons for their decisions. However, Umar Ibrahim Tsauri, a member of the PDP Board of Trustees, attributed the defections to a lack of ideological commitment.
According to a BBC report, he suggested that the primary motivation for most politicians changing parties at this time is likely a result of their inability to achieve their goals within their existing party or a perception that being in the opposition offers no benefits, leading them to rejoin the party in power.
