Barr. Solomon Dalung, former minister of youth and sports development, has alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has become a political sanctuary for politicians facing corruption allegations.
Dalung made the claim in a statement titled ‘APC as political sanctuary: when defection becomes cleansing’.
He said a remark attributed to Adams Oshiomhole, former national chairman of the APC, that “if you join the All Progressives Congress (APC), your sins are forgiven”, has become a defining metaphor for Nigeria’s political reality.
Dalung said the comment has evolved from political banter into what he described as an operational doctrine of power.
He alleged that defection to the ruling party now translates to absolution, while remaining in opposition exposes politicians to investigation and prosecution.
Dalung said over the past decade, the APC has increasingly provided refuge for public office holders facing allegations of corruption.
He claimed that once politicians defect to the APC, investigations lose momentum and prosecution gives way to reconciliation under the guise of national interest.
Dalung cited Senate President Godswill Akpabio, as an example of what he described as defection as redemption.
He said Akpabio faced allegations involving billions of naira after leaving office and was under investigation before defecting to the APC in 2018.
Dalung claimed that following the defection, prosecutorial interest waned and Akpabio later rose to become the Senate President.
He alleged that similar patterns have played out across the south-south geopolitical zone.
Dalung said politicians who once identified as opposition figures have undergone what he described as political rebirth after joining the APC.
He alleged that investigations are stalled while individuals previously accused of corruption are rebranded as stakeholders.
Dalung accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of selective prosecution.
He claimed that under the Bola Tinubu administration, the anti-graft agency has focused its prosecutorial efforts on opposition figures.
Dalung said as Nigeria approaches the 2027 elections, Tinubu’s political strategy appears to be framed as a do-or-die project.
He added: “Hunger will not defect to APC. Poverty will not defect to APC. Insecurity will not defect to APC. The lived realities of Nigerians, soaring food inflation, collapsing purchasing power, rampant kidnappings, and daily violence, remain stubbornly non-partisan.
The article was originally published on Politics Nigeria.