As Gale Of Defections Hit APC, PDP Camps In Kebbi State

Since the minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami withdrew his plan to contest for governorship seat in Kebbi State on the platform of the APC in 2023, he reportedly invited a strong unionist and former national president of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and deputy national president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Dr Nasir Idris to buy nomination form in order to replace him.

This arrangement was said to have been accepted by all stakeholders in the state chapter of the APC led by Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu. When the primary elections came, Bagudu and other teeming party members and supporters in Kebbi stood by the anointed candidate for the 2023 governorship election, Dr Nasir Idris. The unionist was eventually declared winner  by officials who supervised the election from the APC National Secretariat, Abuja.

Dr Idris was said to have defeated two strong contenders, Alhaji Abubakar Gari Malam, a former Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs and Dr Yahaya Abdullahi, a former Senate leader at the National Assembly. The emergence of Dr Idris was said to have offended many stakeholders of the party especially supporters of Dr Yahaya Abdullahi who was said to be a nominee of the former governor of the state, Senator Mohammed Adamu Aliero. They alleged that the primaries  were marred by massive rigging and irregularities.

Even before this allegations, there were unsettled crises in the party where the party hierarchy ordered the suspension of some APC executive members for allegedly diverting N100 million from the party’s account. Also part of the squabble was the denial of Aliero’s candidates the opportunity to become the party’s executive members during the last wards, local governments and state’s congresses.

These reasons, and considering the fact that all is set for campaign flag off next month, have forced political parties especially the APC and the PDP in the state to run from pillar to post intensifying efforts to increase the number of members hoping to add volume to votes that would be cast in 2023.

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As a result, the state has continued to witness defection over defection of both APC and PDP supporters. Recall that last month, a PDP chieftain in Zuru local government area, Alhaji Bamaiyi Bage alongside over 200 supporters, defected to the APC and they were received by one of the stalwarts of the party, Alhaji Kabiru Giant on behalf of the state party chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Kana Zuru.

After that, a former deputy governor on the platform of the APC, Alhaji Ibrahim Aliyu, a former SSG and two executive members,  a zonal vice chairman, a state organising secretary and over forty-three supporters defected to the PDP.

They told PDP stakeholders led by state secretary of the party, Abubakar Bawa Kalgo at the PDP Secretariat in Birnin Kebbi that they left the APC due to the incessant maltreatment, injustice and highhandedness by the leadership of the party in the state.

Similarly, about 2,512 PDP members have again left the PDP to the APC in Shanga local government area. The defectors led by Alhaji Yakubu Dala, who was the former PDP chairman in the area, informed the gathering that they joined the APC because of the tenacity and good  leadership of the governor, Atiku Bagudu as well as the cohesion within the APC in Kebbi state.

Also, early this month, 4,220 PDP supporters in Maiyama local government area joined the APC at a rally in Maiyama town. They told the crowd that the steering leadership of Governor Bagudu, especially how he handled the state during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, influenced them to dump the PDP to join the APC.

This  also happened in Zuru Emirate where about 26,000 defectors from four local government areas (Danko-Wasagu, Fakai, Zuru and Sakaba) defected to the APC from PDP. They were received at a massive rally held at town hall in Zuru by the deputy governor, Col Samaila Yombe Dabai and the APC state chairman, Abubakar Kana Zuru and other executive members.

After receiving the new entrants, Col Dabai assured them of inclusiveness in the affairs of the party as bona fide members. Recently also, a federal lawmaker, Hon Yakubu Bello Rilisko and the zonal women leader, Hajiya Yar-Sokoto Jega as well as about 6,000 SDP and PDP supporters from Yauri local government joined the APC. They told APC stakeholders that meaningful projects executed by the present administration of Governor Bagudu had informed their decision to dump the PDP to join the APC.

Reacting, the secretary to the state government, Babale Umar Yauri said the tremendous achievements recorded by the Bagudu administration in the last seven years would not only be left as legacy but have also attracted teeming supporters of other parties to join the APC in Kebbi state.

However, the state secretary of the PDP, Alhaji Abubakar Bawa Kalgo argued that the APC has lost its glory in Kebbi state as a result of its deception, maltreatment and highhandedness by the leadership of the party being steered by few members.