Nigeria ambassador to South Africa resigns, joins PDP

Nigeria’s ambassador to South Africa, Ahmed Ibeto has resigned and renounced his membership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to join opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Ibeto was a deputy governor of Niger State on the platform of PDP in 2015. He was appointed an ambassador and posted to South Africa by President Muhammed Buhari in 2017.

He was reported to have arrived Nigeria from Pretoria during the weekend and submitted his letter of resignation at the Ministry of External Affairs on Monday.

But it was not reported if he met President Muhammadu Buhari before his visit to Togo.

According to sources, the former deputy governor was received by over 1,000 supporters in Minna. A source close to Ibeto told said he would join governorship race immediately he registered with PDP.

Ibeto was a member of the PDP until the primary election of the party in November 2014, during which he lost the governorship ticket to Umar Nasko, a former Chief of Staff to ex-governor Babangida Aliyu.

He resigned his membership of the PDP along with thousands of his supporters after complaining about “the injustice” melted to him by the then ruling party.