Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, has dismissed the wave of political defections to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), saying most defectors are motivated by hunger and self-preservation, not ideology or principle.

Speaking during an interview with ARISE NEWS on Wednesday, Lawal drew a stark line between two types of politicians: those who enter politics to serve the people and those driven by personal gain.

He said, “It’s not every Nigerian that can withstand hunger and not every Nigerian can survive a poverty condition. So most of these politicians that are defecting to APC are probably driven by the desire to safeguard their stomachs and to safeguard their luxurious lifestyles that they have acquired while in government using the people’s money. So, to them, it’s okay, they can go that way, that’s what they choose to do.”

Lawal insisted that the defections were more about survival than loyalty, describing the trend as a reflection of character. “Defection is just a function of the character of the person. It’s a function of the character. Somebody without character will easily abandon you when his interest is threatened, rather than when the interests of the masses are threatened,” he said.

He also questioned the actual political influence of governors and high-ranking party officials, citing studies and election results where even serving governors and vice-presidential candidates failed to deliver their home states. Using Delta and Borno States as examples, Lawal pointed out that despite their incumbency advantage, key political figures could not sway voters — evidence, he said, that true electoral power lies with the people.

Looking ahead to 2027, Lawal appeared unfazed. He said, “We are not bothered about defections. It will continue to happen. But I mean, 2027, we’ll go to the ballot boxes and we’ll see the results. We are confident that it’s immaterial.”

Melissa Enoch

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