PDP loses more members to APC

The defection by senior members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressive Congress (APC) seems unstoppable since General Muhammadu Buhari won the Presidential election.General Buhari defeated President Goodluck Jonathan in the polls held penultimate Saturday and since then a wave of defections has continued to hit the incumbent President’s party almost on […]

The defection by senior members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressive Congress (APC) seems unstoppable since General Muhammadu Buhari won the Presidential election.
General Buhari defeated President Goodluck Jonathan in the polls held penultimate Saturday and since then a wave of defections has continued to hit the incumbent President’s party almost on a daily basis.
The second round of elections holds next Saturday during which Nigerians will vote for governorship and state houses of assembly candidates.
General Buhari, whose party has already won control of the National Assembly, is out in the field again rooting for his party’s candidates.
However, President Jonathan has stayed back in Abuja where on Tuesday he asked Nigerians to vote for candidates of their choice.
On Tuesday many top party members and thousands of members in states such as Jigawa, Gombe, Kebbi, Benue and Edo, dumped the ruling party for the opposition APC.
Yesterday many more dumped the President’s party and crossed over to the opposition in six states.
Defection spree
The Kwara State chapter of the PDP suffered heavy losses yesterday as key members of the state working committee dumped the party for the APC.
They included the Secretary, Barrister Hassan Razaq; Youth Leader, Barrister Segun Olawoyin; women leader, Hajiya Nimota Ibrahim; PDP Campaign Director of Media and Strategy, Lanre Onilu and former Reps member, Memunat Adaji. They are members of the Gbemisola Rukayyah Saraki (GRS) movement.
Addressing a press conference in Ilorin, a former Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Benjamin Ezekiel said they were defecting in solidarity with their political leader, Gbemisola Saraki.
He noted that their defection had “practically emptied the PDP in Kwara State.”
In Edo, a former governor of the state, Prof Oserheimen Osunbor said he decided to dump the PDP for the APC because the PDP does not have the interest of the people at heart.
In his response, Governor Adams Oshiomhole lauded Prof. Osunbor for his cooperation.
In Ondo State,  23 leaders of the PDP including the gubernatorial candidate of the party in 2012 election, Chief Olusola Oke, a member of the House of Representative Albert Akintoye and former Senator, Gbenga Ogunniya decamped to the APC yesterday.
The defectors led by Chief Oke at a reception organized for them at the APC secretariat in Akure the state capital said: “We believe Gen Buhari has the capacity to bring about the needed change and we are already working to ensure the victory of the party come Saturday”.
In his reaction, the chairman of the APC, Barrister, Isaac Kekemeke described it as “the great Ondo accord “because all the great people of the state were coming together.”
In Bauchi, former Secretary to the Bauchi State Government Alhaji Muhammadu Nadada Umar and a former House of Representative member Alhaji Awwalu Gwadabe have defected to the APC from PDP.
Nadada Umar was SSG during the administration of National Chairman of PDP Alhaji Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu.
Former Deputy Governor of the State Alhaji Garba Muhammad Gadi announced their defection yesterday in Bauchi.
In Jigawa State, former Minister of Commerce and Industry in the second republic and Sardaunan Dutse, Alhaji Bello Maitama Yusuf and the Executive Chairman Of Dutse Capital Development Authority (DCDA)Alhaji Bashir Aminu defected to the APC.
State Chairman of APC Ado Sani Kiri told Daily Trust that they were on their way to Gwaram to register Maitama in his ward adding that the DCDA Chairman will also be registered in his ward.
Kiri told Daily Trust that the Lamido-led administration has been hit by the gale of defection in the PDP and they are panicking.
In Nasarawa State, Zamani Allumaga, a legal adviser to the Eggon ‘Ombatse’ group, joined the APC yesterday.
Allumaga, who contested for the Nasarawa North Senatorial District under Labour Party, told journalists in Lafia that the Eggon people will massively vote for APC candidates in the Saturday gubernatorial and State Assembly elections.
I will be last man standing for PDP – Mark
Senate President David Mark has put paid to speculations making the rounds that he was contemplating joining the APC, just as he affirmed his loyalty to the PDP.
In a statement issued by his spokesman Paul Mumeh yesterday, Mark said: “I have no reason to jump ship. I will not leave the PDP. I will be the last man standing for the PDP. The party gave me the platform to be where I am today.
Speaking at a special church service to mark his 67th birthday at St. Mulumba Catholic Chaplaincy Apo in Abuja, the Senate President said: “The outcome of the presidential election in favour of APC is the will of God and majority of Nigerians. We, in the PDP have accepted the result in good faith.
“Those drifting to the APC now are fair weather friends of the PDP. They are seeking new green areas. When the PDP bounces back, they will seek another return to the PDP.”
Defectors are saboteurs – PDP
Meanwhile, the PDP has described its members quitting the party to join APC as “traitors who from within had ceaselessly worked against the interest of the party and now fear that they would be sanctioned for their actions.”
It said it would not miss such fair weather members. It commended the courage and steadfastness of all its supporters and members who remained in the party.
The PDP said adequate machinery is already in motion to reposition itself to regain power in the next four years since it is obvious that the APC lacks what it takes to effectively lead the nation.
They are stomach politicians – Aliyu
Also, Niger State governor Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu accused those defecting from the PDP to the APC of doing so without genuine reason but rather defecting based on the outcome of the last presidential election.
Aliyu made the statement yesterday while receiving some former Local Government Council chairmen in Minna.
He said: “Those defecting from PDP based on the outcome of the presidential and National Assembly election lack principles of integrity and morality. They are indeed “stomach politicians”.
“For principles of integrity and morality we have chosen to remain in PDP. I rather resign from politics instead of defecting from PDP.”
They are fortune seekers – Moro
Interior Minister Comrade Abba Moro yesterday said that the members of the PDP who defected to the APC few days after retired General Muhammadu Buhari emerged President-elect were fortune seekers.
Moro while reacting to the mass defection of the former PDP stalwarts told journalists in Otukpo that the personalities involved had been in the habit of moving from one party to another in search of positions.