Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has dismissed fears of Nigeria sliding into a one-party state, saying no political party can “capture” any region simply because a governor defects to it.
Obi stated this in Abuja while reacting to the recent defection of Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah and his Bayelsa counterpart, Douye Diri, to the ruling All Progressives Congress.
The former Anambra State governor, who has consistently championed issue-based politics, said the idea that a state can be “captured” by a political party through the defection of its leader belongs to Nigeria’s military past.
“The people will decide where to go, not governors or senators. No party will capture or win any state just because it has a governor,” Obi said.
“Peter Mbah is a good friend of mine, and I believe that as governor, he must have taken his decision based on his own political views and calculations.”
Obi dismissed the notion that the South-East could be “captured” politically, insisting that leadership in a democracy is about persuasion, not coercion.
“You are a leader. You tend to do the right things for them to follow you. So I don’t think anybody is capturing anywhere.”
He also urged public officials to focus on good governance and policies that directly improve the lives of citizens, warning that no amount of political realignment can guarantee loyalty from the people without performance.
“The government needs to do more if it wants the people to support it,” he added.
Obi’s comments come amid growing political tension following a wave of defections by opposition governors and lawmakers to the APC—moves that critics fear could tilt the country toward a one-party dominance ahead of the 2027 elections.
