A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, Hon. Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, has urged opposition parties to stop blaming President Bola Tinubu for the defection of their members to the ruling party.

Oyintiloye, a member of the now-defunct APC Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), made the remarks while speaking to journalists on Sunday in Osogbo.

The former lawmaker said that rather than blaming the President, members of opposition parties should look inwards and embrace internal democracy within their own structures.

The APC chieftain, who stated that political realignment is not a new phenomenon in Nigeria, said the recent wave of defections was driven by ideological persuasion, not coercion, as has been speculated in some quarters.

He noted that opposition parties were losing members due to longstanding internal crises that had gone unresolved for years.

“Many defectors claimed they were sidelined, undermined, and unfairly treated by their former parties, leaving them with no option but to switch to a party with a sustainable transformation agenda.

“This season of political recalibration, which has led to a growing number of Nigerian politicians defecting en masse to the ruling APC, indicates that the party has demonstrated the capability to transform the country through the President’s ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’.

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“Mr President has shown a clear commitment to prioritising national development and creating a more viable political platform, which is attracting new members to the APC fold,” he said.

Predicting more defections from the opposition parties, especially the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Oyintiloye cautioned the party against blaming the President or the APC for its internal disunity.

He also dismissed claims in some quarters that the wave of defections could lead to a one-party system.

He added, “How can defections to the ruling party lead to a one-party system when we still have more than 60 registered political parties in the country?

“Instead of blaming the President or the ruling party, opposition parties must develop robust strategies to stem the trend by improving internal democracy—allowing dissent, conducting transparent primaries, and making inclusive decisions within their party structures.

“This will help to discourage defections by politicians from their respective parties.”

He, however, emphasised the need for the APC to also strengthen internal democracy within its fold, to protect existing members and properly manage defectors in order to prevent internal conflict resulting from the influx.

Oyintiloye further stated that those defecting to the APC should not be allowed to displace loyal party members who have worked hard to build the party over the years.