Strong indication emerged Sunday that Zamfara state Governor Bello Matawalle will defect from Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The planned defection was announced barely 46 days after Cross River state Governor Ben Ayade dumped the opposition party for the governing APC, a development that generated heated reactions from some PDP chieftains.
Ebonyi state Governor Dave Umahi left the party last year while a PDP lawmaker, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi also joined the APC last week.
Matawalle
Announcing the governor’s plan in a statement obtained by Blueprint in Abuja, a former Commissioner for Rural Development and Cooperatives in the state, Alhaji Abubakar Abdullahi Tsafe, said the governor had heeded the call made to that effect.
Tsafe, an APC chieftain in the state, was the first to call on Matawalle to join APC March last year.
He was one of the APC chieftains in the cabinet of Matawalle until it was dissolved early this month.
Tsafe said he was condemned and called names by PDP chieftains when he first called on the governor to join APC.
“When as a member of his cabinet, I was appealing to the governor to join the APC, a lot of people expressed reservations but to the glory of Allah, he has accepted to join. The governor ignored all calls by the PDP chieftains against me.
“All arrangements have been concluded for the governor to join APC. We will formally receive him on Tuesday,” he said.
The former commissioner also said with Matawalle in APC, the welfare of the people of the state would be adequately attended to as the federal government would give necessary attention to the state.
“With him in the APC, the success we are recording in the area of insecurity would be consolidated. We will fully have opportunities to harness the abundant mineral resources in the state for the benefit of our people.
“As the next door neighbour of Mr. President’s state, Katsina, Zamfara will be better in the ruling party. Welcome onboard Your Excellency, “Tsafe said.
ZMSG confirms
And in line with Tsafe’s declaration, the state Commissioner for Information, Ibrahim Dosara, formally announced the defection plan in a public service announcement on Zamfara state radio and television stations.
Dosara announced this Sunday in his capacity as the chairman publicity committee of the defection programme scheduled for Tuesday.
PDP excos, ex-minister, others join
Meanwhile, investigation by one of our correspondents revealed that both the state PDP executives, led by Alhaji Tukur Danfulani, the three senators representing Zamfara North, West and Central, Senator Sahabi Ya’u, Senator Hassan Muhammed Nasiha and Senator Hassan Dan’iya respectively, and some six members of the House of Representatives have unanimously backed Governor Matawalle’s defection to the ruling party.
Also set to go with the governor are former deputy governor, Malam Ibrahim Wakkala and former Minister of Interior, Ambassador Bashir Yuguda.
However, the Seventh House of Representatives member representing Talata Mafara Federal Constituency, Kabir Classic, is not joining the defectors as revealed by him to an online medium-thunder blower
Similarly, Deputy Governor Mahadi Aliyu Gusau, it was gathered, said he had not yet decided on whether to follow the governor.
The deputy governor, who is the son of a top former military brass, General Aliyu Gusau, is being rumoured to have pledged remaining in the PDP, a party his father belongs.
Secondus must go, PDP youth insist
And from the PDP South-South Youths Vanguard came a call Sunday that the party’s national chairman, Prince Uche Secondus must be kicked out.
The call is coming on the heel of frequent defection of the opposition party strong members, especially governors, to the ruling APC.
The PDP youths, under the aegis of South-South Youth Vanguard, called on the party leaders to stop the drift of defection and address the negative situation in the party now.
The youth vanguard, in a statement by its national chairman, James Efe Akpofure, said the party would be empty before Secondus leaves office by December if he’s not sacked now.
“If the Secondus-led National Working Committee (NWC) is doing well, this exodus of party members to APC will not be experienced,” the youth said.
They further said “the continued stay of Secondus as the party National Chairman will destroy the party if not quickly checked.
“It is embarrassing that within the space of few months, members with key positions are leaving the party. The time to take action is now. A stitch in time saves nine.”
