PDP LAWMAKERS’ DEFECTION CAN’T BE REVERSED –APC SCRIBE, HAKEEM BAMGBOLA

Following a threat by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to recall the six PDP lawmakers  who recently defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC on the floor of Lagos State House of Assembly, APC has dared PDP, describing the party’s threat as empty.

While reacting to the threat made by a notable leader of  PDP in Lagos State, Chief Olabode George, APC Secretary in the state, Hon Hakeem Bamgbola  urged George and other PDP leaders to accept their party’s loss to APC in good faith.

“Bode George is making an empty threat. Threat of a recall can’t and will never work. PDP is dead in Lagos State and that’s why these lawmakers and others have been declaring for APC. Lagosians are tired of PDP’’, he declared.

What is your reaction to pdp’s threat to recall 6 lawmakers who recently defected to the apc?

It will not work. Threat of recall by PDP leaders would be an exercise in futility. My humble advice to Chief Bode George  and other PDP leaders is that they should not waste their time.

To start with, the Nigerian constitution clearly guarantees freedom of association and expression. It also allows individuals to move to political parties of their choice. These lawmakers, while declaring for APC clearly stated their reasons for taking their action. They said the PDP is embroiled in crisis and that the party is factionalised. Are these not true?

Everybody is aware that you  do not only have factions in PDP, but the factions are also involved in legal tussle to determine which faction is the authentic PDP. Even for Chief Bode Goeorge  who is making the recall threat, what is his own status in PDP? Is he in the authentic PDP or the fake one? The case to determine that is still in court? So, how can he, whose own fate is hanging in the balance threaten others?

Again, if PDP thinks Nigerians have forgotten, some of us have not. We still remember how some of the leaders of  the PDP in Lagos State today, defected from the then Alliance for Democracy,(AD) to the PDP. It was from AD that Senator Adeseye Ogunlewe, Senator Musliu Obanikoro, and the former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Senator Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele defected to the PDP. What is happening today is a clear case of ‘’what goes round comes around’’

There is   the claim that APC manipulated the    entire process leading to the defection of the lawmakers, how true is this?

Who is manipulating what? PDP leaders are just shedding crocodile tears. These lawmakers that defected are not kids, they are adults. They told us that they wanted to be part of the light, which APC represents. If you will recall, in the last couple of weeks , there has been series of defection of PDP big wigs to APC  in Ibeju-Lekki, Ifako-Ijaye and other parts of Lagos. What is happening is just a tip of the iceberg. Chief Bode  George and other PDP leaders should expect more shock and surprises as more PDP members are going to cross carpet to APC . Lagosians can no longer be deceived. They are tired of PDP.

Are you saying that PDP is no longer relevant in Lagos state?

When a political party is loved by the people, what do you expect? Many PDP members are tired of the party, and this is one of the things they usually tell us when they want to join us. They tell us that PDP is a party that is at war with itself. Moreover, everybody including our PDP rivals have been acknowledging the good works being done by Governor Akinwumi  Ambode in Lagos  State. Even recently Chief Bode George openly praised Ambode for transforming Lagos state. If   Chief  George could openly commend Ambode for doing a good work in Lagos State, why is he now angry with those lawmakers and other defectors from PDP to APC who want to join hands with Ambode in the efforts to take Lagos State to  greater heights?

How would you describe Chief Bode George’s   declaration that PDP would  teach APC  a lesson in the forthcoming council polls in the state if the elections are free and fair?

I   laugh. This is an empty boast. PDP has never been on ground in Lagos State. PDP is dead in Lagos State. Since 1999, has PDP won any election in Lagos State? Forget all those big names in PDP, Bode George ,Obanikoro, Ogunlewe, Jimmy Agbaje, Kofo Bucknor-Akerele, all of them are no match for APC. APC has always been on top. In fact ,it is going to be the other way round during the council polls, APC will use the local government election to bury PDP in Lagos State.