The former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, has stated that the increasing number of lawmakers’ defections to the party poses no threat to the nation’s democracy.
During an appearance on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’, Oshiomhole spoke on the recent defection of three senators to the APC, bringing the party’s total strength in the Senate to 68, closer to a two-thirds majority.
Oshiomhole, a senator representing Edo North, dismissed concerns that the growing number of defections threatens Nigeria’s democracy.
“Whether this is a danger to democracy? No, I don’t think so.
“If you’ve been following debates in the Senate, sometimes you can’t even distinguish who is PDP or APC in terms of the positions people take,” he said.
Speaking further, Oshiomhole cited the United States as an example, saying an aligned legislature is not unusual in democratic societies.
“The US celebrates when a president has control of both the Congress and the Senate. Every government wants that because democracy, in a sense, is not only a means to an end — it is an end in itself.
“The right to contribute and the freedom to express yourself are part of what defines democracy, not just the number of parties represented,” he added.