The Director of the Commonwealth Institute of Advanced and Professional Studies, Prof. Anthony Kila, has criticised governors defecting to the ruling party ahead of the 2027 elections, describing their justification of wanting to be “close to the centre” as totally unacceptable.
Speaking on Wednesday during an interview on Arise Television’s Morning Show, monitored by DAILY POST, Kila said such defections reflect a lack of character, vision and leadership qualities among the affected governors.
According to him, politicians who abandon opposition parties for the ruling party demonstrate weak principles and poor political stamina. He noted that many of the defectors are motivated by fears over ticket assurances rather than genuine ideological alignment.
“I have a bias against people who leave the opposition to join the ruling party; in my mind, they lack character, vision and stamina,” Kila said. “Those who are uncomfortable with the lack of automatic ticket assurances will not leave the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC. This declaration is a farce meant to placate people and create the impression that democratic principles are being upheld.”
He dismissed claims by defecting governors that joining the ruling party is necessary for effective governance, stressing that such arguments are misleading and self-serving.
“These governors cannot tell me they did not know who President Bola Tinubu was two years ago. You suddenly discover him now and abandon your party to join him,” he added. “You cannot say that to govern your state well, you must be part of the centre. That is totally unacceptable and nonsense.”
Kila’s remarks come amid increasing political realignments as parties and politicians position themselves ahead of the 2027 general elections.
