By Francis Sardauna:
Another gale of defections has hit the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in Katsina State as no fewer than 12,963 members of the parties have defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
The defectors, who are from Jibia and Kaita Local Government Areas of the state, included a former Special Adviser to Governor Aminu Bello Masari on Skill Acquisition and Vocational Training, Aminu Lawal, while other bigwigs of the APC, Alhaji Sa’adu Maigishiri, Hon. Lawal Abba, Nura Damaga, Mansur Mani, Basiru Isyaku and others also defected to PDP.
This is coming barely nine days after the defection of the former Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and governorship aspirant of the APC, Dr. Mustapha Muhammad Inuwa, to the PDP.
Lawal, who spoke on behalf of the defectors, alleged that they dumped the ruling APC over leadership failure and the inability of its government to ward off insecurity and economic challenges affecting residents of the state.
He claimed that the APC-led government in the state lacks administrative principles and policies that would usher in democratic dividends to rural dwellers that will alleviate their plights and bring purposeful governance in the state.
Receiving the defectors, the PDP governorship candidate, Senator Yakubu Danmarke, said if elected as governor of the state in 2023, he would restore security and revamp small and medium enterprises in the state within his first 100 days in office.
He lamented that Jibia, a border town between Nigeria and Niger Republic, which used to be the hotbed of commercial activities in the state and Northern Nigeria, has been crippled due to what he termed bad leadership and government’s policies of the APC.
According to him, “Commercial activities of Jibia town have been crippled because of the bad leadership and policies of the APC government in the state and at the national level.
“When we come to power in 2023 by His grace, we will ensure that Jibia returns to its past glory as the window of economic activities in the entire country by restoring the security and economy of our state in our first 100 days in office.”
The state PDP Chairman, Hon. Salisu Yusuf Majigiri, represented by his deputy, Alhaji Lawal Uli, said: “We received 12,963 APC and NNPP members today (Saturday) into our great party the PDP. The defectors are from Jibia and Kaita Local Government Areas alone.”
The state PDP chairman while welcoming the defectors, assured them of justice and fair play that the “party is known for over the years”, alleging that the APC and NNPP are buried in the state.
He urged them to work hard and woo other APC supporters into the PDP fold for the success of the party in the forthcoming general election.
