Cletus Obun, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has sparked controversy with his assertion that undermining the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is a deliberate strategy employed by his party.
Obun, a former chairman of the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) in Cross River State, made the statement during an appearance on Politics Today, a Channels Television program.
Responding to claims by PDP stalwart Segun Sowunmi, who blamed President Bola Tinubu’s appointment of Nyesom Wike as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for fueling internal divisions within the PDP, Obun dismissed the allegations as misguided.
“If the PDP comes out to say so, it’s the worst political confession ever made,” Obun said. “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 ensure the APC is destabilised.”
Obun defended the practice of infiltrating rival parties, stating that it is a common and acceptable political tactic as long as it does not incite violence. “So long as it’s not disruptive to the point of violence, it’s a good political weapon to use,” he argued.
Segun Sowunmi, however, criticized Tinubu’s decision to appoint Wike, a former PDP governor, as minister, describing it as a key contributor to the PDP’s internal instability.
Obun’s remarks have ignited a debate over the ethical boundaries of political strategies in Nigeria’s democracy, with critics questioning the implications of such tactics on the nation’s political integrity.