Babangida, Atiku’s political base suffers setback, as APC harvests PDP stalwarts in Adamawa, Niger, Kebbi
*Samaila Sambawa, Ahmed Gulak, ex-Jonathan’s Minister, Political Adviser, now APC members
By Kemi Kasumu, General Editor
In what appears to be passing a message to those plotting against Buhari’s 2019 and asking him not to seek re-election, Oyegun said, “APC needs sincere soldiers as leaders, people who are ready to join the fight, because God entrusted Buhari to us to salvage the nation and its economy,” he said.
Niger State that is the seat of the genius, former Military President Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, have gone down into the hands of All Progressives Congress (APC) in what many have described as the state’s political gladiators way of showing the ex-ruler they are not on the same page with him over his position against the sitting President, Muhammadu Buhari.
That, report says, is explained by action of over 34,826 members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) said to have indicated their ripeness for harvest into the governing APC in Niger State, whose formal defection was personally supervised by the National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, at the weekend.
Among the defectors are the Niger State Deputy Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Aminu Yusuf, former Speaker of the state Assembly, Alhaji Adamu Usman, a former Attorney General, Alhaji Abdullahi Wuse among others.
In what appears to be passing a message to those plotting against Buhari’s 2019 and asking him not to seek re-election, Oyegun said, “APC needs sincere soldiers as leaders, people who are ready to join the fight, because God entrusted Buhari to us to salvage the nation and its economy,” he said.
Also in Adamawa State, the country home and major political base of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, may have been on its last leg into 2019 preparation as it took part in the defection galore with big political fishes in the nation’s leading opposition trouping in their scores of thousands into the governing All Progressives Congress (APC).
This is as former National Caretaker Committee Chairman of the former ruling party, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, boasted that the Muhammadu Buhari-led APC Federal Government has made the way for his PDP to win the 2019.
But with the defection of stalwarts of the PDP in Adamawa, Niger and Kebbi states, which made it a bad weekend for the leading opposition party in Nigeria, especially with defection of the likes of many of its notable personalities like Barrister Ahmed Gulak, who served as Special Adviser on Political Matters to ex- President Goodluck Jonathan and other key leaders of the party, leaving with thousands of other faithful, the song of the survivalist struggle of the party may have changed.
Gulak’s defection came three days ahead of President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to Adamawa scheduled for tomorrow.
Others who left together with him included Chief Felix Tangwami, Chief Medan Teneke, Alhaji Sahabo Aliyu, Alhaji Saidu Aliyu, Chief Lazarus Gugu, Alhaji Mustafa Maigari and Alhaji Yusuf Dan-Umma, among others.
Gulak, who addressed supporters at the event in Yola, said they left the PDP with their 42,000 supporters because of the impunity in the party.
“It is time for us to register formally as APC members. It is time to formally bury PDP in Adamawa,” he said.
In Kebbi, it was Alhaji Samaila Sambawa, who served minister in different ministries including Sports, Internal and Foreign affairs, bade PDP bye-bye alongside many of his supporters.
“You will all agree with me that relative peace, security of lives and property being witness across the country resulted from concerted efforts determination and personal committed of Mr President,” he said.
