By Bayo Wahab

President Bola Tinubu has welcomed the gale of defections in the ruling All Progressives Congress, saying he expects more opposition party members to join his party.

The President said this at the APC National Summit on Thursday in Abuja.

In his speech, the President said he is happy about the wave of defections into the APC and urged the ruling party’s leadership to bring in more opposition members.

President Tinubu also slammed critics who accused his government of installing a one-party state due to the recent gale of defections. He said those defecting to the APC should not be blamed because they were in a sinking ship.

The President said, “You don’t blame a people bailing out of a seeking ship, when they have no life jacket. I am glad of what we have and I’m expecting m ore to come. That’s the game. We are in a constitutional democracy, don’t forget the freedom of movement and freedom association is not criminally punishable. Welcome to the progressives, sweep them clean.”

Earlier, the APC National Working Committee members led by the party’s National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, endorsed President Tinubu for second term.

The endorsement followed the National Assembly’s declaration of support for the President as their their sole candidate for the 2027 presidential election.

Sen. Godswill Akpabio, the President of the Senate, moved the endorsement, which was seconded by Hon. Tajudeen Abass, the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Vanguard News