Image of a former member of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Ben Murray-Bruce

Former Senator Ben Murray-Bruce has announced his defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), expressing strong support for President Bola Tinubu’s economic and governance reforms.

Murray-Bruce, who represented Bayelsa East Senatorial District from 2015 to 2019 under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), made the announcement in a statement shared on social media on Wednesday.

According to him, his decision was not politically motivated but inspired by confidence in the “painful but necessary” reforms being implemented by the Tinubu administration.

“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,” Murray-Bruce wrote.

He praised Tinubu’s understanding of economic policy, noting that Nigeria was undergoing a transition toward a freer and more disciplined economy.
“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,” he said.

“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.”

Murray-Bruce also lauded the administration’s achievements in security, monetary policy, and infrastructure, stating that the Central Bank under Tinubu’s leadership was “rebuilding confidence and restoring the dignity of the naira.”

He added, “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.”

The former senator further praised Tinubu’s infrastructure drive, describing it as “unprecedented”, with massive road networks, ports, airports, and housing schemes across the country.

“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,” he said.

Concluding his statement, Murray-Bruce declared, “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.”