Tinubu Gifts Governor N250bn, Senator N1bn, Rep Member N500mn For Defecting To APC

An accusation of massive financial inducement scheme has been slammed on President Bola Tinubu-led government following the defection of top opposition figures into the fold of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Presidency was accused of engineering the inducement scheme to lure opposition governors and lawmakers into the APC.

According to reports on Friday, top insiders in government confirmed that the ongoing wave of defections from opposition parties to the APC is being powered by financial packages, coordinated directly from the Presidency and supervised by senior government officials around Tinubu.

It was reported that each state governor who has recently defected to the APC got a total package of N250billion.

“This money is released in two tranches; there is a N100 billion “grant” upfront once commitment is shown, and a balance of N150 billion after the formal defection ceremony," one of the sources revealed.

“So, the state governors defecting to APC get a total N250billion, senators N1billion, and members of the House of Representatives N500million,” he said.

Recently, the Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, the Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, and Delta State Governor, Sheriff Obovrevwori, have all dumped the opposition party, PDP, to join the federal ruling party.

Governor Mbah, while announcing his defection in October, had said the move was driven by his desire to better serve the people of Enugu and align with the APC’s “vision for development and progress.”

The governor expressed confidence that the APC platform would enable stronger collaboration and open new opportunities for growth in the state.

He also thanked his former party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for its support over the years but described his defection as a necessary step toward realising his administration’s goals.

“To the Peoples Democratic Party which provided us the platform on which we campaigned and won, I extend deep gratitude. The PDP supported us through a demanding campaign and joined us in celebrating the victory,” he was quoted.

“Leadership demands difficult, even painful decisions, in the service of higher principles and goals. And there comes always a time where everyone must make a bold choice to determine their destiny.

“Today after a long reflection, we have made a decision to join the All Progressives Congress.”