A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Cletus Obun, has stirred controversy by admitting that destabilising the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is a strategic part of his party’s political arsenal.
Obun, who once chaired the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) in Cross River State, made this assertion during an interview on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme.
Responding to accusations by PDP stalwart Segun Sowunmi, who blamed President Bola Tinubu’s appointment of Nyesom Wike as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for his party’s internal crisis, Obun dismissed the claims, stating that infiltrating rival parties is a standard political strategy.
“If PDP comes out to say so, it’s the worst political confession to be ever made,” Obun remarked. “If you’re saying that we’re able to infiltrate PDP and destabilise them, it’s part of our duty to do so, just as it is their work to also ensure that the APC is destabilised.”
He further justified the practice, emphasising that it remains valid as long as it avoids violent disruptions. “So long as it’s not disruptive to become violent, it’s a good political weapon to use,” he added.
Sowunmi, however, criticised Tinubu’s decision to appoint Wike, a former PDP governor, as a minister, describing it as a key factor in his party’s instability.
Obun’s candid admission has sparked debate over the ethical boundaries of political tactics in Nigeria’s democracy.