Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele has dismissed claims that Senator Adamu Aliero was coerced into defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC), insisting that the decision was voluntary and rooted in the spirit of national unity.
Bamidele made the clarification following the formal defection of all three federal lawmakers from Kebbi State: Senators Adamu Aliero, Yahaya Abdullahi, and Garba Maidoki, to the APC during Tuesday’s plenary at the National Assembly in Abuja.
The event was witnessed by several high-profile party figures, including APC National Chairman Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris, and the APC National Organizing Secretary, Sulaiman Argungu.
Reacting to the defections, Bamidele emphasized that the move was not an attempt to weaken the opposition or build a one-party state, but rather a step toward consolidating a government of national unity.
“No one is being coerced into joining the APC. If anyone claims to be under pressure, it’s definitely not Senator Adamu Aliero,” Bamidele stated.
He described the senators’ decision as one made in the national interest, calling for less political grandstanding and more cooperation to address Nigeria’s pressing challenges.
“This is the time for all of us to work together to take Nigeria to the next level,” he said.
