Usman Bugaje, a former House of Reps member and one-time presidential adviser, has claimed that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is using money as a tool to lure members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Bugaje believes many defections happening now are mostly driven by money, although there may be other factors like pressure from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on those with questionable records. Still, he says the real motivation behind these political crossovers is financial gain.

His comments follow a major political shake-up in Delta State where the sitting governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, his predecessor and Atiku’s 2023 running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa, along with several lawmakers and local government chairmen, moved to the APC.

Bugaje spoke on a news program, saying;

“From what I know, the APC is simply buying off PDP members. Some call it the carrot and stick method — the carrot is the money, but as for the stick, I’m not too sure. Maybe it’s linked to EFCC pressure. This practice has been going on since the Obasanjo era. But the core issue here is money.”

He warned that if politics continues to be shaped by money, then democracy itself is at risk. “It’s a dangerous trend,” he said. “If money keeps deciding who joins which party, then we’ve lost what democracy is supposed to stand for.”

Reacting to the defection, the PDP’s acting national chairman, Umar Damagum, admitted the party didn’t see the Delta move coming. But he stressed that the outcome of the next elections won’t depend on how many governors each party has, but on the people’s verdict on the APC’s governance.

Bugaje wasn’t convinced the PDP still holds its ground as a real opposition. Referring to past actions, including how members responded to the emergency rule debate and budget matters, he said, “The PDP lost its opposition voice the moment Wike took the path he did. Since then, there’s been no real resistance or leadership coming from them.”