2027: Defections won’t guarantee APC cictory – Bala Na’Allah

Former Deputy Senate Majority Leader, Bala Na’Allah, has cautioned against reading too much into the recent wave of defections to the All Progressives Congress (APC), insisting that such moves alone will not secure victory for the party in the 2027 general elections.

Na’Allah, a prominent figure within the ruling party, made the remarks on Monday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, as political realignments continue to dominate national discourse.

His comments come in the wake of reports that several state governors have defected to the APC, among them Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf, Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang and Taraba State Governor Agbu Kefas, along with other influential political actors who have abandoned their former platforms.

According to Na’Allah, electoral success is not determined by numbers alone but by how convincingly a party delivers governance and earns public trust.

“The APC has to work to seriously convince the people that whatever they are going through is reasonably necessary for the purpose of positioning the country for a greater future,” he said.

He further argued that the APC was founded with a clearer national vision than any other political organisation in the country.

“I can conveniently say that no party was formed and came with the best intentions for Nigeria, better than the APC. That I can conveniently,” he added.

Recalling the political climate that gave birth to the APC, Na’Allah noted that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was firmly in control at the time but had failed to inspire confidence among Nigerians.

“Now don’t forget that the ruling party then was PDP, and when APC came, we were very few members who believed that the trajectory of PDP for the years that they have been ruling has not succeeded in at least giving Nigerians the comfort to say their country was in safe hands,” he stated.

Turning to the impact of recent defections, Na’Allah maintained that the influence of defecting governors would ultimately depend on their performance in office.

“These defections that we are talking about, a defection made by people who hold authority in their various states. To a larger extent, what they are able to do in their various states will determine the followership,” he said.