Former Bayelsa state federal lawmaker and entrepreneur Senator Ben Murray-Bruce has officially joined the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Announcing his defection in a statement on Tuesday, the former lawmaker said his decision was driven by confidence in President Bola Tinubu’s leadership.
He described the president as a courageous and visionary reformer capable of transforming Nigeria’s economy and governance.
This comes on the heels of Bayelsa State’s Governor Douye Diri resigning from the PDP. His defection came just a day after Enugu Governor Peter Mbah announced a defection to the APC. Earlier this year, Akwa Ibom Governor Umo Eno had also left the PDP for the APC. More defections from the opposition are believed to be imminent.
Murray-Bruce said Tinubu’s ongoing reforms, though difficult, are necessary steps toward building a stronger and more self-reliant nation.
He praised the administration’s efforts to deregulate the economy, strengthen the Central Bank, and improve security and infrastructure across the country.
He urged Nigerians to remain patient, noting that the short-term pain of the reforms would pave the way for lasting prosperity.
The senator emphasized that his move to the APC was not motivated by politics, but by a belief in Tinubu’s vision for progress.
The statement reads:
“I have known President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu since 1998. I know the man’s mind, his courage, and his conviction. He is not driven by applause, he is driven by results. And today, I can boldly say to you that he is on the right track.
“For the first time in our nation’s history, we have a President who truly understands finance, who sees the economy not as a political slogan, but as a living organism that must be disciplined, deregulated, and allowed to breathe.
“The painful reforms we face today are the very foundation of tomorrow’s prosperity. We are moving into a free-market economy, one that rewards hard work and innovation instead of dependency and distortion.
“Look around you: under this administration, the appointment of the National Security Adviser has redefined our national safety architecture. Insecurity is being quietly and systematically dismantled. The Central Bank, now professionally steered, is stabilizing the economy, rebuilding confidence, and restoring the dignity of the naira.
“Our foreign policy is again respected. Our fuel supply is deregulated. We will never again live through the humiliation of fuel scarcity. The numbers are beginning to speak, investments are returning, and the world is watching Nigeria rise again.
“And beyond economics, Bola Tinubu’s infrastructural drive is unprecedented; from massive road networks to modernized ports, airports and housing schemes springing up across the nation. These developments are not just concrete and steel; they are the arteries through which growth and opportunity now flow.
“I know it is still a difficult season for many families. But as history teaches, reform is never painless. Yet, it is in these moments of sacrifice that nations are reborn.
“That is why today, I am joining the All Progressives Congress (APC), not for politics, but for progress. Because I believe that Bola Tinubu’s leadership, guided by courage and intellect, will deliver the Nigeria we have all dreamed of.
“Mark my words: in the full term of eight years, Nigeria will witness phenomenal growth. I choose to stand with that vision. I choose to stand with reform. I choose to stand with the future.
“Thank you, and may God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
