The political hurricane blowing across some parts of the country crooned by defection of members of All Progressives Party, APC, to Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is gradually depleting the numerical strength of the ruling party.
To the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, this is goodnews as more political heavyweights have joined them in a battle to wrestle political power from APC during the 2019 general elections.
Consequently, PDP and Atiku Abubakar have welcomed Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, the Sokoto State Governor, back to their fold.
In the same vein, the party also welcomed Prof. Hafizu Abubakar, the Kano State Deputy Governor, fellow partymen and new members to the party.
The PDP in a statement on Wednesday by Kola Ologbondiyan, its National Publicity Secretary, described Governor Tambuwal’s decision as courageous and patriotic, saying it portrays him as a statesman who puts the interest of the nation above all.
“In welcoming Governor Tambuwal, the PDP notes that he had continued to conduct his activities in strict adherence to democratic principles both as former Speaker of the House of Representatives and executive governor of Sokoto State.
Similarly, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in a statement by his Media Office Wednesday welcomed the returnees, and called on all lovers of democracy and progress to, like Aminu Tambuwal and Abdulfatah Ahmed, “emancipate themselves from the faux democracy practiced in the APC and move over to the only party capable of entrenching genuine democracy in Nigeria and economic progress for Nigerians.”
Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal Wednesday officially dumped the All Progressives Congress (APC) returned to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The governor announced his defection at the Government House, Sokoto, North-West Nigeria.
Straightnews had last week published that Tambuwal had defected the party which such was predictive in content as it has now become a reality.
The governor made the announcement amid hundreds of supporters who stormed the Government House to declare their support for him.
Tambuwal explained on his Twitter handle that he took the decision after a wide consultation with the people of the state who assured him of their support for his next political move.
The announcement comes after weeks of speculation that the governor was planning to leave the ruling party and one day after he called on Nigerians to reject what he described as “prison-yard democracy”.
Tambuwal, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, is the third APC governor to exit the party after his Benue and Kwara state counterparts, Samuel Ortom and Abdulfatah Ahmed joined the PDP.
On July 25, Governor Ortom announced his exit from the APC on the day he was due to meet with the leadership of the ruling party in Abuja over the crisis in the Benue chapter of the party.
He consequently joined the PDP after some youths blocked the entrance of the Government House in Makurdi, preventing the governor from attending the APC reconciliatory meeting.
One week later, Governor Ahmed announced his defection to the opposition party via his official Twitter handle.
He said his decision to dump the APC followed consultations with major stakeholders in the state.
Meanwhile, Ali Ahmad, Speaker of Kwara State House of Assembly, has defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The 23 members of the house, except one, left the party.
This is coming less than 24 hours after Senate President Bukola Saraki, Kwara State Governor Ahmed Abdulfatah, Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal and APC National spokesman Bolaji Abdullahi all announced their defection to the PDP.
Revealing this at the floor of the Assembly, Ahmad stated that the constitution of the country allows for change of party.
He, however, said he regretted leaving PDP in 2014.
“In 2014, I was terribly sad leaving PDP reluctantly with 36 other members of the House of Representatives,” he said.
“Today, I am the happiest leaving the APC for good. I wish I was never a member of the party.”
