Deputy governor, senators, ex-
minister quit in Edo, Kwara, Benue,
others
A wave of defections has hit the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
It was not immediately clear
yesterday whether the party’s loss in
the March 28 presidential election
triggered the defections.
In Jigawa, Kwara, Kebbi and Gombe
states, key political figures yesterday
defected to the All Progressives
Congress (APC).
In Benue State, former Attorney
General of the Federation and
Minister of Justice Michael Kaase
Aondoakaa resigned from the PDP.
He is yet to join another party.
In Edo State, the PDP candidate in
the 2012 governor ship election,
Maj.- Gen. Charles Arhiavbere was
received into the APC yesterday by
Governor Adams Oshiomhole. He
announced his defection at the
weekend.
Jigawa State Deputy Governor Ahmed
Mahmoud led the defectors at a
ceremony in his home town Gumel.
Mahmoud along with a Special
Adviser to Governor Sule Lamido,
Alhaji Bello Dansokoto; the
immediate past executive Chairman,
Dutse Capital Development Authority,
Alhaji Bashir Aminu and the
immediate past Chairman of Gumel
Local Government Council, Alhaji
Ya’u Kura, defected, taking with them
thousands of supporters.
The defectors were received by
executive members of the party and a
massive crowd of APC supporters.
They described their exit from the
PDP as “good riddance”.
Mahmoud, who spoke at the venue,
said: “My defection is as a result of
my personal and supporters’ interest
that prevailed on my conscience to
do the right thing.”
The deputy governor, who spoke
amidst shouts of “change” by
thousands of APC supporters, added:
“I have been loyal to Governor Sule
Lamido up to this moment and I pray
that all of you should as a matter of
respect reciprocate same to me and
this party.”
He said he had no regret over his
decision to join the APC.
Mahmoud becomes the fourth deputy
governor to defect – the third to
leave the PDP for the APC – after
Niger State Deputy Governor Ahmed
Ibeto and Ondo State Deputy
Governor Ali Olanusi. Rivers State
Deputy Governor Tele Ikuru left the
APC for the PDP.
But after his action yesterday, the
state PDP chapter issued a statement
saying it had expelled Mahmud.
The statement signed by the PDP
chairman of Galagamma ward in
Gumel, Jigawa State Alhaji Ibrahim
Kafinta, said the decision to expel
Mahmoud was taken during a
stakeholders meeting held in his
ward.
Kafinta alleged that the deputy
governor sabotaged the party during
the National Assembly elections.
He said the Gumel Local Government
headquarters of the party had
endorsed the expulsion.
Former Governor Saminu Turaki also
defected to the APC.
Turaki requested that his official
reception into the party should be
held at his Kazaure Emirate home
town today.
He was joined on the defection train
by Alhaji Abba Anas and Senator
Muhammad Dudu. Dudu represented
Jigawa North-East Senatorial District
between 1999 and 2007.
Receiving the defectors, APC
Chairman Ado Sani Kiri said the party
had increased from strength to
strength. He assured the new
members that they would be
accorded the same treatment as
those they met in the party.
One of the defectors, former House of
Representatives member Alhaji Anas,
explained why he joined the APC.
The former member representing
Guri/Hadejia/Kirikasamma Federal
Constituency said: ”I am joining the
PDP due to the overwhelming support
Nigerians gave to General
Muhammadu Buhari and one cannot
be left out”.
Gombe State House of Assembly
Majority Leader Mamman Alkali
yesterday joined hundreds of others
who left the ruling PDP for the APC.
The defectors included over 50
Special and Personal Assistants to
Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo.
Alhaji Ibrahim Zamfara, a member of
PDP Elders Committee, who spoke on
behalf of the defectors, said they
dumped the PDP because they
wanted to avoid a situation where
Gombe would end up as an
opposition state.
”We have decided to embrace change
because of shoddy happenings in the
PDP. The party lacks transparency
and we are fed up with the
discriminatory activities of PDP in
Gombe State.
”We feel it will be better for us to
pitch our tent with the winning train
so that the state can benefit and
move forward,” he said.
Receiving the defectors, APC
governorship candidate Alhaji Inuwa
Yahaya promised them a fair deal,
saying they should feel free and
consider themselves as bona fide
members of the party.
He said their decision was timely and
would further enhance APC’s fortunes
ahead of Saturday’s governorship
and legislative elections
In Ilorin, no fewer than 20,000
supporters of the 2011 governorship
candidate of the defunct Action
Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Kwara
State, Mohammed Dele Belgore (SAN)
, have defected to the APC.
The defectors were led by Rev.
Bunmi Olusona, a close associate of
Belgore.
Belgore was the state’s coordinator
of the Jonathan Campaign
Organisation.
Mr. Adebayo Ajimoti, Alhaji Gobir
Mohammed, Alhaji Dele Sarkinwa, Dr.
Mohammed Potun, Funso Agaka,
Alhaji Nasiru Ubandawaki, Mr. Yunus
Abdullahi and Mr. Dada Abiodun also
defected.
In a letter addressed to the state’s
chairman of APC, Alhaji Ishola
Balogun-Fulani, the former PDP
leaders traced their decision to a
meeting they held with the APC
leader in the state, Dr. Bukola Saraki,
and their realisation that the PDP is
“made up of people who do not have
the interest of the state at heart”.
The letter, dated April 6, 2015,
described their decision to join the
PDP in the first instance, as a result
of “ignorance”, They lamented that
what they found in the PDP was best
described as belonging to a
“generation of vipers”.
The letter said: “We make bold to tell
Kwarans that they should stay away
from the party because it is a sinking
ship.” The letter claimed that the PDP
had been able to produce an array of
bad candidates who voters have
come to see as clueless politicians.
The defectors also wrote that they
were never comfortable with the
environment due to what they
labelled as the practice of politics of
bitterness by “self-seeking and
attention-craving politicians”.
The defectors said “for continued
progress and prosperity”, the new
APC members directed their followers
to freely go to thelr wards and team
up with the APC and vote for the
party’s candidates for governorship
and House of Assembly positions.
Aondoakaa (SAN) sent a letter of
resignation “with immediate effect”
from the PDP to his ward chairman,
asking that his name be struck off
the members’ list in Lessel Township
Ward.
Aondoakaa, said he came to “this
important decision” after due
consultation with his family, friends
and political associates. He said he
would concentrate on his legal
practice.
On the governorship and House of
Assembly elections, he enjoined the
people to vote according to their
conscience.
The immediate past chairman of the
PPD in Kebbi State and dozens of
other leaders have dumped the party
for the APC,.
Three aggrieved governorship
aspirants – Mansir Mansa, Hussaini
Adamu and Zubairu Dabai – also
defected to the APC.
They accused the PDP of victimising
them and expressed a lack of
confidence that the party will give
them justice.
Other party leaders who moved to the
APC are: Abbas Jega, Danjuma
Kamba, Shehu Malisa, Bala Gwandu,
Rilwanu Auwal, Ilyasu Kambaza,
Dambegu Vice, Usman Zuru, Danjuma
Zuru, Aliyu Kalgo, Haruna Magarza,
Abu Dangoje, and Bello Kaoje, who
lost the Suru/Bagudu Federal
Constituency election to an APC
candidate.
The running mate of the APC
governorship candidate, Sama’ila
Yombe, who received the defectors in
Zuru on Sunday, said the party was
consulting with many other PDP
members to join the APC before the
governorship election.
“PDP is not a party to remain in,” he
said.

www.thenationonlineng.net/new/heavyweights-desert-pdp/

They desert PDP and head to APC and immediately assume their roles as change agents.

And the Nigerian masses keep chanting 'change' like these politicians fell from heaven.

The closest we came to change was when GEJ delivered us from the strongholds of the dictatorship of OBJ, IBB and rigged elections.

And we willingly strolled back to the old days. And PDP will soon vanish from the scene and we will be stuck with one party with the same people and without an opposition. We'll be at their mercy.

Obj, Amaechi, Saraki, Ngige, Atiku, Kwankwaso etc were all long time PDP members who wrecked this nation. Today they are well aligned in APC and touting as change agents.

If only Nigerians were a little wiser!!!!.

PDP will struggle to bounce back before the next general election in four years time.

The only hope they will have is to win Lagos which is a daunting task as things are.

Those people defecting after the election hoping they will share in the largess will soon find their square root because they have no idea the kind of government that'sabout to come in. COME AND CHOP is nolonger the motto of Nigerian government. So if you left your home hungry, prepare to STARVE..STEALING IS VERY MUCH CORRUPTION NOW... #missing rest my case

PassingShot:
PDP will struggle to bounce back before the next general election in four years time.

The only hope they will have is to win Lagos which is a daunting task as things are.

The PDP can not play opposition politics. They are not that rugged and conniving. They think they are but they are not.

As for the Governorship of Lagos.....Agbaje should be glad if by percentage he comes close to the number GEJ got

Then don dey go... 1 by 1..
Prostitute politicians...

(in saka voice) I don port Ooo, I don port go A....P.....C.