The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has expressed concerns that Nigeria may soon become a one-party state with the rate at which politicians from other political parties especially the main opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, are trooping into the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
Gbajabiamila expressed the fear when on Wednesday he delivered a batch of five serving members of the House of Representatives mostly from the PDP and the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, as new converts of the APC to the leadership of the party.
Six other former legislators including a former Speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly also switched their allegiance to the APC.
Even though Gbajabiamila was delighted to welcome the new members into the APC fold saying their arrival will shatter the old myth that the APC is not on the ground in the Southeast, the Speaker shared the sentiments that the massive movement from other political parties into the APC could be the birth of a one-party state.
According to him, the APC does not wish to turn Nigeria into a one-party state which he said will not be healthy for the country’s democracy.
“This is a political heist,” he retorted jovially.
“We don’t want a one-party state. The chamber is becoming a one-party chamber already but if there are more out there let them come first and then we decide who to take or reject.”
Not many in the APC, however, supported the position of Gbajabiamia starting with the Chairman Caretaker Committee, Mai Mala Buni, who argued that Nigeria could as well become a one-party state like China.
He said the APC is big enough to accommodate more that wish to join; announcing waiver for the new members.
The Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege, who also witnessed the brief ceremony disagreed completely as well with the Speaker when he said he feels very comfortable with a one-party arrangement if that is what is necessary to transform Nigeria.
Present at the event were the Governor of Kano, Abdullahi Gandoje, his counterpart from Kebbi State, Atiku Abubakar Bagudu and the Governor of Jigawa State, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar.
Others were the Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello and the Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, who is also Chairman, APC Campaign for the Anambra governorship election.
Notable among those who dumped the PDP and defected to the APC is a serving member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Lynda Ikpeazu, who represents Onitsha North and South Federal Constituency.