By John Audu.
Former presidential adviser Usman Bugaje has leveled a serious accusation against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), alleging that the party is using financial inducements to orchestrate the defection of key figures from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“The PDP has lost its opportunity to become an opposition party” said Usman Bugaje, a former presidential advisor, during an interview on Arise TV. Bugaje, accused the ruling APC of using money to induce key PDP members to defect.
Bugaje stated that the response of the PDP to recent defections was weak, and that the party has been ineffective in holding the government accountable. He cited the PDP’s poor showing during national debates, and budget sessions as evidence of their ineffectiveness.
“There has not been opposition right from the time the Minister Wike did what he did. PDP has lost that opportunity to become an opposition party,” he stated.
Bugaje, further accused the APC of using money, and threats of EFCC investigations to induce defections. “Of course, if there are people with records in the EFCC, they might threaten them. They might do these kinds of things, and this has been the practice right from the time of President Obasanjo,” he added.
He warned that the dominance of money in politics threatens democracy. “For as long as money is going to be the determining factor, then that’s the end of democracy and that’s the end of politics. We would be heading towards something completely different, maybe on the path of Peru and Fujimori,” he said.
