Defection: El-Rufai, Lukman, Others Move To Pacify Aggrieved Northwest APC Members

Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, stakeholders; national vice chairman of the  All Progressives Congress (APC) (North West), Saliu Lukman, and other top chieftains of the party have begun moves to stop the gale of defections from the party in the North West geopolitical zone.

Accordingly, a high-powered committee led by the Kaduna governor has been set up to reconcile and pacify aggrieved members in the zone with a view to prevent further defections in Kaduna.

Members of the reconciliatory committee include State Working Committee, chairmen of various local government areas, elected representatives, elders and members of the State Executive Council.

Over 15 chieftains of the party in Kaduna State are said to have dumped the party over alleged lack of internal democracy.

In statement signed by APC zonal publicity secretary (North West), Musa Mailafiya Mada, yesterday, Lukman noted that a high powered reconciliatory committee led by El-Rufai has been constituted in Kaduna.

He said the committee has the responsibility of “reaching out to co-contestants of all the elective positions that did not win their primaries for the forthcoming 2023 general elections and other aggrieved party members in the state.”

The national vice chairman explained that the committee was constituted when the zonal leadership of the APC visited Kaduna on Tuesday on a continued fact-finding tour of the North West geopolitical zone.

The statement noted: “The National Vice Chairman of All Progressives Congress North-West, Malam Salihu Lukman, urged participants to be sincere in their contributions because to him, the worst thing people can do in time like this is lying to themselves.

“As witnessed in all the states visited by the zonal officials, numerous issues were raised and deliberated upon but post primary election reconciliation takes the center stage. As a result, stakeholders therefore, decided to setup a committee of highly respected individuals among party men and women across senatorial districts of the state to form the Reconciliatory Committee at the state’s level.

“The Local Government Reconciliatory Committees will also be constituted afterwards. Respected party members were nominated by the participants for the task and the governor assured the meeting of his readiness to give necessary support for the success of the committee’s assignment before campaign starts.”