PDP defectors and danger for Bauchi APC

I  was  dismayed  by  an  online  news  report  by  dailytrust.com.ng <http://dailytrust.com.ng>  published  on  8th April,  2015,  that  the  former  deputy  governor  of  Bauchi  state  and  APC  chieftain Alhaji  Garba  Mohammed  Gadi  has  during  the  visit  of  the  President-elect General  Muhammadu  Buhari  to  Bauchi,  announced  the  defection  of  former secretary  to  Bauchi  State  government  Alhaji  Muhammadu  […]

I  was  dismayed  by  an  online  news  report  by  dailytrust.com.ng <http://dailytrust.com.ng>  published  on  8th April,  2015,  that  the  former  deputy  governor  of  Bauchi  state  and  APC  chieftain Alhaji  Garba  Mohammed  Gadi  has  during  the  visit  of  the  President-elect General  Muhammadu  Buhari  to  Bauchi,  announced  the  defection  of  former secretary  to  Bauchi  State  government  Alhaji  Muhammadu  Nadada  Umar  and  a failed  House  of  Representatives  candidate  of  the  PDP  in  Katagum  Federal Constituency  in  the  March  28  elections, Alhaji Auwalu  Abdu  Gwalabe,  from  PDP  to APC.  Arguably,  Alhaji  Gadi  was  the  first  APC  stalwart  to  publicly  announce defection  to  the  party  by unrepentant  PDP  apologists.  Honourable  Auwalu  Abdu  Gwalabe  has made  attempts  to  defect  to  APC  from  the  his  ward,  Kafin  Kuka  in  Katagum local  government  just  about  one  week  after  his  defeat  in  the  polls;  but his move was resisted and barred by  the  entire  stakeholders  at  the  ward  and  local  government  levels who believed that it was  in  bad  faith and ill-timed, only to find his way into the warm embrace of Alhaji Garba Gadi!
 In  2007  when  the  PDP  refused  him  the  chance to  fly  its  ticket  for  the  House Representatives  election,  Auwalu  Abdu Gwalabe defected  to  the  then  All  Nigeria  Peoples  Party,  ANPP  and rode  on  the  popularity  of  General Muhammadu Buhari  and  won  the election, only  to  ditch  the General  and  the  party  and  defected  back  to  the  PDP  less  than  a  year  after  he won  the  election. In  the  countdown  to  the  March  28  elections, Hon.  Auwalu  Abdu  Gwalabe  let out  series  of outbursts of  invectives  on  our  great  party,  its  members  and  our candidates  particularly  our  presidential candidate.
It  is  appalling  that  Alhaji  Garba  Muhammed  Gadi, who was himself a victim of Alhaji Auwalu Abdu Gwalabe’s political machinations during the his  impeachment saga as deputy governor of Bauchi State, would  singlehandedly  receive defectors rejected by the grassroots, without due  consultations, or recourse to party  guidelines, or any inputs from  various  stakeholders.
These  defections  are  clear  cases  of  political  rascality and  therefore  ignominious, and must be  curtailed for  our party to maintain its sanity in the state and, our democracy  to be sustained.
 The  APC  has  made  its  position  clear  on  the  issue  of  defections. The  national chairman  of  the  party, Chief John-Odigie Oyegun was  reported  to  have  denounced  the defections. In his words, “Many  opposition  party members  have  defected  to  APC  just  because they  lost  out,  that  is  not  good  for  political  development.”  As loyal party members, any position taken by our party  must be  respected  by  all, no  matter  how  highly  placed  they  may  be.   The  APC  should not be  turned into a  waste bin of political garbage and, the PDP must not be allowed to die because  there is absolute need for a formidable opposition that can check the ruling  party so that our democracy will maintain its vibrancy.
The ambiguity of Nigerian constitution vis-à-vis political defections is not helping matters either. There is need for a clear anti-defection law in Nigeria so as to check the menace of the politics of “stomach infrastructure.”
Bashir Mustapha, Azare, Bauchi State