Basiru Says APC May Gain Another Opposition Governor Soon

Senator Ajibola Basiru said the All Progressives Congress expects to gain another opposition governor within one to two weeks, as the ruling party pushes to expand its control across more Nigerian states.

Basiru, the APC National Secretary, spoke on Tuesday during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme. He was reacting to the recent defection of Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri to the APC and said the development has raised the party’s footprint nationwide.

According to him, the APC now controls 30 states after Fintiri’s move. He said party leaders are already looking ahead and expect the number to increase again in the near term.

"With Governor Fintiri, the APC has 30 states, and hopefully, in the next one to two weeks, it will be 31 states," Basiru said.

He added that the party wants to build what he described as a broad political platform with nationwide acceptance. Basiru said the APC’s leadership sees this expansion as part of a wider effort to reduce divisions linked to partisan rivalry and direct attention to governance.

"Our goal is to create a pan-political party. And we thank Nigerian people that we are achieving that one," he said.

He also said, "We want to have a consensus of opinion to develop Nigeria. And when you have already been able to edge out divisive tendencies that partisan politicking gives, you will be able to concentrate very well on governance."

The discussion comes as the party continues internal activity across states. Items referenced around recent APC developments include the release of names of newly elected officials in Oyo, a congress in Sokoto that produced new executives, the inauguration of a new exco in Niger by Governor Bago, the reported move of former Nasarawa PDP governorship candidate Ombugadu to the APC, and comments by Governor Abiodun on influence peddling, manipulation, and transactional politics.

For now, Basiru did not name the governor he expects to join next.