19,500 APC members defect to PDP in Buhari’s senatorial zone

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in President Muhammadu Buhari’s Katsina North Senatorial zone has been hit by defections, as many of its registered members have moved to the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Most recent of such, The Guardian gathered, was about 19,500 registered APC members received by the PDP in Baure and Zango local councils, at the weekend, in Baure town.

Last April, Sen. Ahmed Kaita, who represents the area in the National Assembly, shocked the ruling party when he left for the PDP. President Buhari’s nephew and House of Representatives member for Daura/Sandamu/Maiadua, Fahutu Muhammad, followed suit early this month.

Saturday’s defectors cited security challenges, economic hardship, unfulfilled campaign promises among other socio-economic setbacks as reasons for leaving the ruling party.

At the event, Katsina PDP chairman, Salisu Majigiri, said the 19,500 defectors had become weary of what was happening in the APC, and decided to change their nest. Majigiri said there were expectations that more APC members would dump the party for the PDP in the coming weeks.

“Today (Saturday), we received 19,500 defectors from the APC into our great party, the PDP, and most of them are APC exco members from different political wards in Baure and Zango local councils.

“Ata Bishir, a youth leader from Baure ward and special adviser to the ward chairman, has dumped the APC. Soli Ibrahim, an assistant financial secretary of his ward, has also dropped the broom and taken the umbrella,” he stated.

Majigiri, who called in the defectors to go back to their respective wards and work for the success of PDP in 2023, said the party is set to reclaim power from the APC “to tackle the myriad challenges afflicting the state and the country at large.”

Katsina PDP governorship candidate, Sen. Yakubu Danmarke, said the party had been receiving many defectors to its fold, and that the number could exceed the 100,000 mark before election campaigns kick off in September.

Danmarke, however, called on the defectors to desist from accepting monetary inducement from the APC, but work to ensure the success of the PDP in the general elections.

He assured that, if elected, he would come up with policies and programmes that would tackle insecurity, economic hardship and related challenges bedevilling the state.

On his part, Sen. Ahmed Kaita, said that next year’s polls would be a work-over for the PDP due to many of the promises that the ruling APC had failed to fulfil in the state.

“The failure of the APC administration in Katsina is a clear sign of victory for the PDP. The party and its leadership have nothing good to show after about eight years of its administration in the state. Their government is full of deceivers and liars,” he said.