A former aide to the late President Muhammadu Buhari, Bashir Ahmad, has stirred fresh political debate after revealing that two northern governors are on the verge of defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the coming days.
Ahmad made the disclosure in a social media post on Tuesday, October 7, noting that one of the governors is Agbu Kefas of Taraba State, while the other is from the North-West region. He suggested that discussions are already advanced and that both governors could announce their defection to the ruling party “very soon.”
At present, two serving governors in the North-West belong to opposition parties — Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State (Peoples Democratic Party, PDP) and Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State (New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP). One of them is widely believed to be the second governor Ahmad was referring to.
The revelation comes months after the defections of Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno, both of whom crossed from the PDP to the APC, marking a significant political boost for the ruling party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assumed office on May 29, 2023, the APC leadership has consistently boasted of ongoing efforts to attract more governors and influential figures from the opposition. Ahmad’s statement appears to reinforce those claims, suggesting that the next wave of defections could further tilt the political balance in favour of the APC, particularly in the northern region.
However, the announcement has generated a wave of mixed reactions from Nigerians across social media, with many expressing skepticism about the trend of political defections and what it means for the country’s democracy.
Zola Martins, a social media user, questioned the significance of the defections, writing:
“Will that stop the killings of Christians and Muslims in northern Nigeria? Has your great party done anything significant to reduce the violence? If late Buhari couldn’t secure his own state under your party, what’s the benefit?”
Another commentator, Ebuka Emma, emphasized the need for electoral reforms rather than political realignments, saying:
“All the governors in Nigeria can as well join Tinubu, but what we really need is electoral reform. 36 plus 1 cannot be greater than over 200 million people.”
Similarly, Solomon Adeyemi expressed concern about the implications of the defections for Nigeria’s democratic system:
“Speculation has it that Enugu may also be on the way. One may ask what is influencing these mass defections? Have we ever thought about the impact on our democracy? Na wa o.”
Adnan Abdullahi Adam added a note of caution regarding the 2027 presidential race, saying:
“Without rigging or the use of force, I don’t know how Tinubu will win in 2027. No governor can guarantee power — only God decides who rules.”
Political observers say the potential defection of Governor Agbu Kefas and another northern counterpart, if confirmed, would further consolidate the APC’s influence across northern Nigeria, a region that has traditionally played a decisive role in national elections.
While the PDP has yet to react officially, insiders within the party fear that the defections, if realized, could deepen existing divisions and weaken its standing ahead of the next polls.
As the political atmosphere heats up, the coming days may reveal whether Ahmad’s prediction was mere speculation or part of a well-coordinated political strategy to strengthen the APC’s grip on power ahead of 2027.
