Must the APC Control Every State? – Otunba Babatunde Olushola Senbanjo Asks

What is happening in Rivers State today is a dangerous reminder of how far our democracy is being dragged backwards by desperation for power. The open attempt by APC governors and their allies to manipulate the political crisis in Rivers State is not only shameful, but it is also an insult to the intelligence of Nigerians.

Let us be very clear: Governor Siminalayi Fubara was democratically elected under the PDP, by the votes of Rivers people. Those votes were not borrowed from APC, they were not leased to godfathers, and they were not conditional on defecting to another party. Yet we now hear disturbing reports that some APC governors are allegedly assuring that if Governor Fubara defects to APC, impeachment threats will magically disappear. This is political blackmail in its purest form.

Is this what democracy has been reduced to in Nigeria?
Is party defection now a shield against impeachment?
Must every governor, every lawmaker, every institution bow to one party before they can breathe freely?

Nigeria is not a one-party state, and it must never become one.
The idea that a sitting governor can only enjoy peace if he joins the ruling party at the centre is a dangerous precedent. It means elections no longer matter. It means ideology is dead. It means the will of the people is secondary to the interests of a powerful few. Today it is Rivers State; tomorrow it could be any other state that refuses to fall in line.

APC governors who are allegedly encouraging this political bullying should remember that power is transient. Democracy thrives on opposition, checks and balances, and respect for the rule of law. Without opposition parties like the PDP, Labour Party, NNPP and others, Nigeria risks sliding into authoritarianism disguised as “political stability.”

Impeachment is a constitutional process, not a political weapon to force defection. If Governor Fubara has committed impeachable offences, let due process be followed transparently, not through threats, inducements, or backroom deals. But if impeachment is being dangled merely as a tool of coercion, then what we are witnessing is not governance, but state capture.

Nigerians are already suffering:
Food prices have skyrocketed
Fuel costs are unbearable
Unemployment is worsening
Insecurity is spreading
Yet instead of focusing on governance and easing the pain of ordinary citizens, some leaders are obsessed with consolidating power and silencing political diversity.

Must the APC control every state?
Must every governor defect to survive?

Must opposition be crushed for Nigeria to move forward?

The answer is NO.

True democracy allows different parties to govern, to succeed, to fail, and to be judged by the people not by political enforcers. Rivers State belongs to Rivers people, not to APC governors from other states, not to political godfathers, and not to the federal might.

History will judge those who choose power over principle. Nigerians are watching, and they will remember who stood for democracy and who tried to turn Nigeria into a one-party country.
Enough is enough.

Respect democracy.
Respect party plurality.
Respect the will of the people.