Political economist and governance advocate, Dr Sam Amadi, has raised fresh concerns over the increasing movement of state governors to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), warning that the trend undermines the foundations of Nigeria’s federal system.
Amadi, who heads the Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, made the remarks during a televised interview, where he analysed the political implications of recent high-profile defections across several states.
According to him, the steady alignment of governors with the party at the centre suggests that Nigerian states are gradually losing their economic and political independence.
He argued that states were created to function as engines of development, not as entities reliant on federal approval for survival.
“The essence of a state is the capacity to develop using its own resources,” Amadi said.
“When governors believe relevance depends on proximity to federal power, something is fundamentally broken.”
Furthermore, he attributed the situation to Nigeria’s long-standing failure to establish a workable economic structure that empowers sub-national governments.
In his view, weak internal revenue systems have forced governors to prioritise political convenience over ideological consistency.
“Once states lack economic strength, politics becomes transactional,” he explained.
“Defection then turns into a survival mechanism rather than a democratic choice.”
Amadi also cautioned that the trend could gradually push Nigeria back toward a highly centralised governance model, contradicting the principles of decentralisation that underpin federalism.
“If everyone gravitates toward the centre, we must ask whether we are reversing the very idea of federal governance,” he said.
“That question should worry anyone who believes in democracy.”
While acknowledging that Nigeria has made progress in electoral politics, Amadi maintained that economic underdevelopment at the state level continues to weaken the country’s federal arrangement.
“Political competition exists,” he noted. “However, without economic autonomy for states, federalism remains largely theoretical.”
The comments come amid a wave of defections involving governors from Delta, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Rivers, Enugu, Kano, Plateau and Taraba states, further consolidating the APC’s grip on power nationwide.
Hence, Amadi warned that unless deliberate steps are taken to strengthen state economies and restore fiscal independence, party defections may persist, leaving Nigeria’s federal structure increasingly hollow.
“Federalism only works when states can stand on their own,” he added. “Without that, political realignments will continue to replace genuine governance.”