Bola Tinubu’s administration has come under fire for allegedly running a large-scale money inducement program to get opposition lawmakers and governors to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
SaharaReporters was informed on Friday by top sources in the Presidency that the current wave of opposition party defections to the APC is being driven by enormous financial packages, which are allegedly organised by the Presidency and overseen by senior government officials close to Tinubu.
Each state governor who recently defected to the APC allegedly received a package worth N250 billion from Tinubu, according to the sources.
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“This money is released in two tranches; there is a N100 billion “grant” upfront once commitment is shown, and a balance of N150 billion after the formal defection ceremony,” one of the sources revealed.
“So, the state governors defecting to APC get a total N250billion, senators N1billion, and members of the House of Representatives N500million,” he said.
Delta and Enugu state defections
Recall that Peter Mbah, the governor of Enugu State; Senator Douye Diri, the governor of Bayelsa State; and Sheriff Obovrevwori, the governor of Delta State, have all recently left the opposition PDP to join the ruling All Progressive Congress.
Governor Mbah while announcing his defection in October, had stated that he wanted to better serve the people of Enugu and fit in with the APC’s “vision for development and progress.”
The governor further stated that he was certain that the APC platform will foster greater cooperation and create new avenues for the state’s development.
He also expressed gratitude to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), his former party, for its support over the years, but explained that his defection was an essential step in achieving the objectives of his administration.
Bayelsa governor’s defection
Previous reports by NaijaEyes also revealed that the governor of Bayelsa State, Douye Diri, officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the first week of November.
To welcome Diri into the APC fold, thousands of fans and APC loyalists descended upon Yenagoa in a procession reminiscent of a funfair.
According to Diri, he quit the PDP “in the best interest of the state.”
“Somebody had to take the decision (to leave the PDP), and I took it on behalf of the state. I took it in the best interest of Bayelsa. Some of you might not understand now, but later it will be clear to all,” Diri said.
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Following Governors Oborevwori (Delta), Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), and Peter Mbah (Enugu), Diri’s defection makes him the 25th governor of the APC and the fourth governor of the PDP to do so this year.
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