President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has refuted claims that he is responsible for the spate of defections weakening opposition parties, declaring that he has not compelled any politician to join the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Tinubu made the clarification during an interfaith breaking of fast with senators at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where he responded to accusations that his administration was deliberately shrinking the political space for rival parties.
The President maintained that while critics are free to air their views, he has neither deployed force nor abused executive powers to influence political alignments. According to him, politicians who chose to cross over to the APC did so willingly.
Dismissing suggestions that he had crippled the opposition, Tinubu said he could not be held accountable for individuals who decided to leave what he likened to a troubled platform.
“I have heard people say I destroyed the opposition, but I did not use any weapon,” he said, adding that despite occupying a position of authority, he has not misapplied it.
He urged political leaders to prioritise national unity, especially in the face of persistent security threats such as terrorism and banditry, stressing the need for collaboration rather than division.
Tinubu also called on the National Assembly to commence the process of reviewing the Constitution to allow for the establishment of state police, noting that decentralising policing would strengthen efforts to curb insecurity across the country.
