Three more senators are on their way to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in a fresh hit at the support base of the opposition party across the country.
Set to switch camps on the floor of the Red Chambers on Tuesday are Alhaji Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central), Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar Abdullahi (Kebbi North) and Alhaji Garba Maidoki (Kebbi South).
The wave of defections has also taken the Minority Leader of the Jigawa State House of Assembly, Yahaya Zakari, and hundreds of PDP supporters in the state to the APC.
National Chairman of the ruling party, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, said yesterday that the wave of defections would be managed seamlessly through established party mechanisms.
The three Kebbi Senators met with President Bola Tinubu yesterday in Abuja to formally declare their intention to join the APC.
They were accompanied to the meeting by Ganduje, Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris, Sokoto State Governor Ahmad Aliyu, Budget and Economic Planning Minister Atiku Bagudu,and Senator Aliyu Wamakko, among others.
Speaking to State House correspondents after the meeting, Dr. Ganduje said there was no cause for alarm about integrating the defectors into the party as APC’s constitution and its internal structures provide clear guidance for such.
“Our constitution is very clear about this. And beyond that, our political dexterity in managing such affairs is on the table. So, I assure you that there will be a smooth integration,” he said.
Ganduje described the coming of the three senators as both strategic and beneficial to the party, noting that the defections were the result of weeks of underground negotiations and consultations among key stakeholders in Kebbi State.
“This is in continuation of the initiative of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that the APC must do what it must do democratically in order to increase our numerical strength.
“In this incident, not only our numerical strength, but also the quality and capacity of our followership have increased,” Ganduje said.
He said the President had given his blessing to the senators’ decision.
“By Tuesday, you will see what will happen in the Red Chambers,” he said in a veiled reference to the defection on the floor of the Senate.
Responding to a question on whether the mass defections to the ruling party were not part of a plan to impose a one party system on the country, Ganduje said it was not, but rather a reflection of APC’s appeal across the country.
His words: “Leaders who worry about a one-party state have no need to fear. A one-party state is not by force; it is by negotiation.
“It is by other political parties seeing the effect of the positive governance of our party. If they decide to come to our party willingly, I think there is nothing wrong with that.”
Continuing, he said: “Today, China is one of the strongest countries in the world, and it’s a one-party system.
“We are not saying we are working for a one-party system, but if this is the wish of Nigerians, we cannot quarrel with that.”
He also said the high number of political parties in the country is not good for governance.
Minority Leader of the Jigawa State House of Assembly, Yahaya Zakari, was formally received into the APC by Governor Umar Namadi at Government House, Dutse.
The governor promised Zakari and other defectors that they would be fully integrated into the party and given equal treatment.
Defectors also joined from Gwaram and Guri local government areas of the state.
Zakari said he was motivated by what he described as Governor Namadi’s inclusive leadership and the fair distribution of government projects across the state.
The Speaker of the State Assembly, Haruna Aliyu, who led the delegation, said there was no crisis in the Assembly.
He described the legislature as one of the most peaceful in the country and attributed the APC’s growing support to its performance in office.
Earlier this week, six Delta State House of Representatives PDP members formalised their exit on the floor of the Green Chamber while all members of the State House of Assembly also joined the APC to complete the recent movement of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, his deputy, Monday Onyeme, House of Assembly Speaker Emomotimi Guwor, former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and the entire PDP structure to the APC.
Senator Kawu Sumaila (Kano South) similarly crossed to the APC, citing misunderstanding and mistrust in his fromer party, New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).
“There is a misunderstanding, misperception on the way things are going. Definitely, there are some misunderstandings, mistrust among our ranks, and later on, we decided to join forces with the APC to realise the interest of our people,” he said.
Edo State House of Assembly Speaker Blessing Agbebaku, two other state lawmakers, 18 local government chairmen, 192 councillors and other party chieftains also dumped PDP for the APC.
They were received into the ruling party by the National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, who represented National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje; Governor Monday Okpebholo, his deputy Denis Idahosa, and Senator Adams Oshiomhole.
The Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the immediate past governor of Abia State, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, Onyebuchi Ememanka has resigned his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Ememanka’s resignation from the PDP came days after praising governor Alex Otti for the good job one of Nigeria’s leading construction giants did on the Port Harcourt Road, which crisscrosses Aba South Local Government Area to connect road users to the popular Enugu-Umuahia-Aba-Port Harcourt Expressway.
While Ememanka said he would soon make his new party known to the public, he disclosed that he has been impressed with the activities of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, who is rumoured to be interested in running for the governorship seat of the state on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
A few minutes after submitting his resignation letter to the chairman of PDP leadership in his ward, Ememanka, in a post on his official Facebook page titled “GOODBYE, PDP!”, also said the decision to leave the PDP was painful.
The former CPS who was purportedly denied House of Representatives ticket by his party in 2019 said he would continue to pursue his political aspirations.
Madukwe B. Nwabuisi is an accomplished journalist renown for his fearless reporting style and extensive expertise in the field. He is an investigative journalist, who has established himself as a kamikaze reporter.
