ABUJA – Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (PDP, Sokoto South) has dismissed the wave of recent gubernatorial defections to the ruling party as a hollow strategy, asserting that state governors no longer possess the power to “deliver” voters to President Bola Tinubu.
Speaking on the shifting political landscape ahead of the 2027 elections, the former Sokoto State Governor argued that the 2023 polls shattered the myth of gubernatorial invincibility.
Tambuwal maintained that even with the recent defection of governors like Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano and Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers to the All Progressives Congress (APC), the President remains electorally vulnerable.
“Governors don’t control voters,” Tambuwal stated, citing the 2023 results where President Tinubu lost Lagos State despite the governor being his “right-hand man.” He further noted that Simon Lalong failed to deliver Plateau despite being the APC campaign director, while Abdullahi Adamu and the Nasarawa governor also failed to secure their state for the President.
Defections vs. Voter Reality
Tambuwal’s remarks serve as a direct jab at the APC’s recent “big catch” strategy, which has seen several opposition governors join the ruling party. He suggested that these moves are often driven by governors seeking personal political security rather than a reflection of their constituents’ will.
To prove his point, the Senator highlighted the abysmal performance of governors in the last senatorial elections, noting that out of ten outgoing governors who sought seats in the Red Chamber, only three—including himself—were successful.
A United Front for 2027
The Senator, recently appointed to the Senate’s Electoral Act Review Committee, vowed that the opposition is actively coordinating to ensure a “free and fair” contest in 2027. He insisted that the current administration is not “invisible” and will be defeated if the electoral process is protected from manipulation.
“Tinubu will be defeated as long as the election is free and fair,” Tambuwal declared, adding that he is fully involved in the process to form a formidable coalition to unseat the APC.
Can the PDP and its allies prevent further “gubernatorial flight” to the APC before the 2027 campaign officially kicks off?
