Former member of the House of Representatives, Dachung Bagos, has explained that his recent defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was driven by the opposition party’s failure to provide credible leadership and direction.
Bagos made this known on Tuesday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, shortly after officially announcing his move to the APC. He dismissed claims that the decision was motivated by personal ambition, insisting that it was based on principles and the need to give ordinary people a stronger voice in governance.
“We are not jumping parties for political ambition. We are jumping parties because of the platform that wants to give our people a voice, and leadership that says, ‘You can trust us to be able to address this very issue,’” he said.
His comments come amid a growing wave of defections from the PDP to both the APC and the African Democratic Congress (ADC), as internal disputes continue to weaken the opposition party across several states.
Bagos, who represented Jos South/Jos East Federal Constituency of Plateau State from 2019 until November 2023, formally joined the APC on January 4, 2026. He defected alongside other prominent politicians loyal to Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang.
The development followed Governor Mutfwang’s own resignation from the PDP and subsequent defection to the APC, a move he attributed to unresolved internal crises within the opposition party and the absence of a clear ideological direction.
Addressing criticisms that the defections were driven by sycophancy, Bagos firmly rejected such claims, stressing that the PDP had lost its ability to reform itself.
“We are not jumping parties because of sycophancy. We are jumping party because the PDP has failed at this particular moment, and it is irredeemable at this particular moment,” he said. According to him, the APC currently represents a platform that aligns more closely with his ideology and that of his supporters.
Bagos noted that his decision was influenced by the APC’s governance agenda, which he believes reflects the aspirations of the people of Plateau State. He emphasised that effective governance transcends party loyalty and should be centred on policies that directly improve people’s lives.
“Governance is beyond party lines. It is about those agendas on the table that you can make your people believe and understand that this is the solution,” he explained.
He highlighted President Bola Tinubu’s focus on critical national issues such as state police and local government autonomy, describing them as steps towards strengthening democracy and security at the grassroots.
“Our governance has now keyed into the issue of state police,” Bagos said, adding that renewed emphasis on local government autonomy and credible council elections would deepen democratic participation.
He also stressed the need to create opportunities for ordinary citizens and encourage youth participation in politics, noting that inclusive governance remains central to his political vision.
