Senator Hanga Accuses APC of Engineering One-Party Agenda, Predicts Electoral Backlash in 2027
By Fatima Saka
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has been accused of deliberately working to weaken Nigeria’s multi-party democracy through inducement and coercion of state governors, as Senator Rufai Abdu Hanga (Kano Central) warned that the ruling party’s strategy could provoke serious voter backlash ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday in Abuja, Hanga alleged that the APC-led Federal Government is aggressively pushing governors into its fold in what he described as a calculated attempt to dominate the political space and edge the country toward a one-party system.
“They want to make the country a one-state, one-party system,” the senator said. “So they are bribing governors, coercing them and luring them to join the APC. That is what is happening across the country.”
Hanga who belongs to member of NNPP, New Nigeria Peoples Party, argued that the defections are largely limited to governors and their immediate political appointees, insisting that the broader political base and electorate remain unconvinced by the ruling party’s approach.
“In many states, the governors moved, but the people did not,” he said. “I am elected, and I have not moved with my governor. Many elected officials are still standing their ground.”
The Kano Central lawmaker suggested that fear of accountability after leaving office is driving many of the defections to the APC, alleging that some governors are seeking political cover to avoid scrutiny by anti-corruption agencies.
“Some of them have skeletons in their cupboards,” Hanga claimed. “They are afraid that once they leave office, they will face the EFCC or ICPC. That fear is pushing them into the ruling party.”
He further questioned the political strength of defectors, arguing that many lawmakers who followed governors into the APC lack grassroots legitimacy and were imposed rather than elected through competitive primaries.
“Most of them cannot even deliver their local governments,” he said. “They were handpicked, not tested by the people. That is why they don’t hold water politically.”
Despite growing concerns over defections, Hanga dismissed fears that Nigeria is sliding irreversibly into a one-party state, vowing resistance from opposition figures and voters alike.
“Nigeria will never be a one-party state,” he declared. “As long as people like us are around, we will fight tooth and nail to protect democracy.”
Looking ahead to 2027, the senator predicted that the APC could suffer major electoral losses, citing widespread public frustration over economic hardship, hunger and perceived corruption among state leaders.
“The people are not happy,” he said. “Governors are flamboyant while citizens are hungry. You can drag a horse to the river, but you cannot force it to drink. They will be voted out.”
On governance and budgeting, Hanga dismissed concerns that election-year politics would undermine the 2026 budget, noting that projects and empowerment programmes are closely monitored by oversight institutions, including the ICPC.
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Assessing the current administration’s prospects for re-election, the senator said continued public support would depend on tangible improvements in governance, warning that political defections alone cannot guarantee victory.
“Clout belongs to the people, not to the APC or any governor,” he said. “If performance does not improve, no amount of defections will save them in 2027.”
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