Road to 2023: Defections galore in Kebbi APC, PDP

From Olanrewaju Lawal,Birnin Kebbi

For All Progressives Congress(APC), Kebbi State chapter, the past few weeks were a period of harvest and celebrations. The camp of the ruling party is swelling with new members who defected from the main opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) and other political parties in different local government areas of the state. While the ruling party is celebrating defections of the main opposition party’s members at the grassroots, PDP is showcasing defections of two Senators from APC in their camps.

From Maiyama local government to Shanga, Zuru and Yauri LGAs, many PDP Council chairmen, ward leaders, women leaders, youth leaders and their supporters defected to the APC.

While the APC is busy wooing the opposition parties and supporters at the grassroots, members in the state are still strategizing on how to wrest power from the ruling party with the defection of two Senators from the APC to their camp.

Speaking on the reasons for their defections, a PDP Kebbi Central Zonal Women leader, Hajiya Yar Sokoto Jega who was in charge of eight LGAs, dumped her party and joined APC in Kebbi State along her supporters, explained that her decision was due to the injustice and lack of purposeful leadership in PDP. According to her, “I have been in PDP for many years; they have nothing to show to people. I use even my money for the cause of the party, but yet, I have not seen any change with my people.”

Also, the APC received about 6,084 defectors from the PDP in Yauri Local Government Area of Kebbi State. The defectors were received by top APC executives from the state and local government levels at a rally attended by the mammoth crowd of APC supporters.

The defectors also cited injustice within PDP, Governor Bagudu’s developmental strides in their area as well as the visible performance of APC legislators and other political appointees of the area toward the progress of the local government. One of the new defectors, Mallam  Basiru Yauri who joined the APC along with 400 Yoruba indigenes of his supporters, explained that the  PDP has been his party since 1999 but he had to dump the party to join APC due to a  good sense of leadership and dividends of democracy the members of APC have been benefiting.

Another defector,  Alhaji Yakubu Dela said they defected due to frustration over the lack of good leadership in the PDP  and commended the APC for fielding credible candidates to stand for the party in 2023 general election in the area and the state at large.

At the Zuru Emirate, Kebbi South Senatorial district, about 26,000 PDP supporters defected to APC from four Zuru LGAs which includes, Danko-Wasagu, Fakai, Sakaba and Zuru LGAs.

The 26,000  defectors joined the APC at a rally held at Gomo Unity Hall in Zuru town and they were received by the State Deputy Governor, Col. Sama’ila  Yombe Dabai(rtd), the State Party Chairman, Muhammed Abubakar Kana Zuru and party executives from the state and the four local government areas of Zuru Emirate. Among the 26,000 defectors, 9,000 were from Danko Wasagu, under the leadership of Alhaji Shehu Ribah, 7,000 from Zuru led by Alhaji Nuhu Goma, 6,000 from Fakai under Alhaji Adamu Jalalo and 4,000 from Sakaba Local Government who were led by Alhaji Babuga Diri. All the four political leaders who led the 26,000 defectors were former PDP Chairmen in their respective local government areas.

In Shanga LGA, no fewer than 2,512 card carrying members of the PDP in Shanga LGA of the state defected to the APC which included Alhaji Yakubu Dala, who was the former PDP Chairman of the local government. The defectors also included members of the Democratic Peoples Party, (DPP) led by Alhaji Basiru Mai- DPP who dumped their party to join APC at the event.

Dala, while speaking during a reception for him and his supporters, explained that, he led 2,512 PDP members to join APC with all the Exco members, delegates, women and youth leaders in the area. According to him, “before now, I was a member of PDP,  but now I have decamped to APC. I can tell you that PDP is dead in Shanga LGA and with our coming to APC, the party will continue to swell. I assure you that we decided to join the APC in good faith,’ he said.

In Maiyama LGA, about 4,220 supporters who dumped PDP,  joined APC in Maiyama LGA including a chieftain of the party, Alhaji Kurun Kuku Maiyama have defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC).

Announcing his defection alongside his supporters from PDP, Alhaji Abubakar Kurun Kuku said the sterling leadership qualities of Kebbi State Governor, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, his development achievements as well as how he was able to handle the state during the period of Covid-19 pandemic influenced them to join APC.

According to him, “we joined APC because we believe in the good leadership of our governor, Senator Abubakar Atiku; the development we have seen in the state and how he was able to control the economy of the state during the pandemic at a time when other states were locked down; people are allowed free movement unhindered” , he said.

The Deputy Governor while welcoming and congratulating the entrants to APC, described the occasion as monumental political development to the ruling party, the APC and assured them of inclusiveness in all the affairs of the APC as bonafide members. He said: “I want to commend Governor Bagudu for ensuring succour to the people of the state; the kind gesture of the governor facilitated the mass movement of the people to the party. With these thousands of decampees at the grassroots, definitely, APC could win any elections.”

The Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Babale Umar Yauri while speaking about the new members joining  the APC, described the  mammoth crowd at the  Yauri as a sign that Yauri is the  home of APC for long. According to him, ‘ in 2015, 2019 APC was victorious, even in 2023 by the will of God, Yauri will remain under APC”, he said.  The SSG outlined different developmental projects in the area courtesy of  Bagudu’s administration particularly his industrialization drive which led to the establishment of a tomato processing factory in the area . He assured them that the APC supporters would not relent in wooing more people to APC. He said: We will go to polling unit by polling unit in Yauri to look for more people to join APC”.

    The APC Deputy Governorship candidate, Senator Umar Tafida Kabi, lauded the decision of the defectors to join APC in view of the myriads of developments recorded at different levels of the local, state and Federal Government.

The state APC Women leader, Hajiya Aishatu Abubakar Gunabi in her remarks assured the party of total support from women while also calling on them to ensure that they have all collected their PVCs.

Speaking about the significance of the new defectors, the APC state Chairman, Abubakar Muhammad Kana welcomed all the members from PDP and directed the party executives from the local government to integrate the new entrants into the affairs of the party at all levels. The APC Chairman noted that the defectors are very important to the party because they are the people at the grassroots who could mobilize the electorate for APC to win elections for all it candidates.

More so, the APC net also recaptured Bello Yakubu Rilisco, a House of Representatives Member, representing Birnin- Kebbi, Kalgo and Bunza federal Constituency, who had defected to PDP to get returning ticket to the National Assembly and lost at the primary. It could be recalled that, Relisco defected to PDP to contest at the primary for the seat he currently occupies but lost to Bello Halidu, son of former National Chairman of PDP.

Rilisco told newsmen in Birnin Kebbi that the decision was informed by his desire to join forces with Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu to take the state to greater heights. According to him, ‘’ APC is my party and I am back home and I am really impressed with the current tremendous development of the state anchored by Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu. Governor Bagudu is a worthy leader that any right thinking person desirous of the even socio -economic development of the state and Nigeria should emulate.”

He added: “Governor Bagudu’s tenacity and sterling leadership qualities have resulted into the mass exodus into the APC from other parties. He is patriotic, pious, credible and trustworthy,  hence I am here to join forces with him to further develop the state. I am hereby calling on my colleagues in other parts to come back into the fold of the APC and move the state and Nigeria forward.”.

Reacting to the returns of Rislisco, the Personal Assistant to the governor,  Alhaji Musa Yaro Enabo expressed delight over the defections of thousands of defectors including Rilisco and prayed to God to bless all the APC candidates with victory in the 2023 election. He thanked governor Bagudu for good leadership and lauded the decision of Bello Yakubu, Rilisco, House of Representatives member for rejoining the APC from PDP.

However, while APC is showcasing new members, the PDP in the state is also displaying few big wigs of the APC who defected to their party.  Two serving Senators including Muhammadu Adamu Aliero, Abdullahi Yahyah and few other lawmakers from the APC who lost their primaries reportedly defected to the PDP.

The lawmakers comprised five members of the National Assembly and three members of the state House of Assembly.

  Mr. Usaini Raha, the state Organizing Secretary of the PDP, who confirmed the defection of the lawmakers to the PDP attributed their defections to the manner in which the ruling party, APC allegedly conducted its primary elections. He said that was the main reason there was a mass defection to the main opposition party, PDP because most of the party’s members said they were disenchanted.