PDP Defectors ‘ll Soon Return To Party, Say Ex-Speakers

The Forum of Former Speakers in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked Nigerians to look forward to the return of many politicians who left the party a few years ago to join other political parties.

According to the forum, PDP is the most acceptable, widely spread and best-organised political party committed to addressing the challenges confronting the nation.

They stated this shortly after a meeting with the PDP minority leadership in the House of Representatives at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja on Friday.

In attendance were the House Minority Leader, Hon. Kingsley Chinda; Minority Whip, Hon. Ali Isa, Chairman of the Forum and a member of the 10th House of Representatives, Hon. Inuwa Garba; Secretary of the Forum, Hon. Williams Edor; Hon. Bakitta Bello; Hon. Friday Itulah; Hon. Kwamoti Laori and Hon. Ndanusa Hassan.

Briefing journalists at the end of the meeting, Garba, a former Speaker of Gombe State House of Assembly, described some of the defections to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as illegal, assuring however that those who left the PDP will return soon.

He said, “We believe some of these defections are illegal because they are constitutional breach. Some politicians don’t look at what affects their people or the nation. They look at what affects them personally.

“You cannot stop some people from defecting from one political party to the other. Very soon, you will see the gale of defections back to PDP because Nigerians are now better informed and knowledgeable about what is good for them and the nation.

“One person out of a thousand from a constituency may take a decision of leaving the party just to get what he wants, but the voters he abandoned in the constituency know what is good for them and what they stand for.”

The federal lawmaker noted that any politician in the country with a semblance of credibility today was groomed by the PDP at one time or the other.

“Any politician you see as good or credible today was groomed by the PDP, a party that is the most widely spread in Africa, ” he added, stressing that the government in power scuttled the political process of the nation.

“It cannot work. You can do whatever you want to do at a particular time, but you cannot do all you want to do all the time,” he stressed philosophically.

The forum urged party members to “remain steadfast and united in the face of the current daunting challenges bedevilling the nation.”

It also called on party members and leaders at all levels to have faith in the current efforts being made to make the party stronger and united.

In an interval of one week, three PDP lawmakers including Senator Ned Nwoko (Delta), Hon. Amos Magaji (Kaduna) and Hon. Salisu Koko (Kebbi) have defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).