“No One Is Forced to Join APC”: Senator Eteng Williams Dismisses One-Party State Fears
Pan Afric Reporters NASS ABUJA, JUNE 12, 2025 — Senator Eteng Jonah Williams, representing Cross River Central Senatorial District, has downplayed growing concerns over Nigeria’s political direction, insisting that recent defections to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) are driven by personal choice, not coercion.
His comments followed a special joint session of the National Assembly on Thursday to mark Democracy Day, where President Bola Ahmed Tinubu firmly denied any plans to turn Nigeria into a one-party state.
Speaking to journalists shortly after the session, Senator Williams questioned the alarm surrounding the wave of defections from opposition parties, stating that individuals are free to leave political parties that no longer reflect their values or political aspirations.
“I don’t know why people would bother about that,” Williams said. “If your party is not good, you change. If your party is not doing well and you feel you won’t be fulfilled in that party, you change.”
The former Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly emphasized that the APC is not compelling anyone to join its ranks. “It is a self-decision. The Constitution is clear—freedom of association. So, it’s not somebody that will force you to join a political party.”
When pressed further on the implications of mass defections, he maintained that the political migration is constitutional and voluntary. “Even if all Nigerians are saying it’s only APC, so be it,” he added.
President Tinubu’s own reassurance during the Democracy Day session that he harbors no ambitions for a one-party system seemed aimed at dousing rising concerns, especially as opposition parties continue to lose key members to the ruling party.
Senator Williams’ comments reflect a broader narrative within the APC that recent political shifts are the result of strategic realignments rather than an orchestrated campaign to stifle political plurality.
