By OUR REPORTER
Over 17,299 members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have dumped the party and immediately joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Sokoto State, North West Nigeria.
This was as Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, the sitting state leader and Senatorial Candidate for Sokoto South in the 2023 National Assembly election, continued to lead the statewide campaigns for the gubernatorial, National Assembly, and State Assembly candidates, which train was in Silame Local Government Area and Wamakko Local Government Area, where it was separately received by mammoth crowd of people in manner that has been described as unprecedented, on Sunday January 1, 2023.
The highlight of the Silame campaign was the PDP receiving of a major boost ahead of the upcoming elections as the 17,299 members of the APC joined the party that has continued to be led to many previous election victory by its Leader, Governor Tambuwal.
The DEFENDER reports that many of the people that have terminated their membership and support for APC have given similar reason of arrogance on the part of both Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko and his “planted candidate for the APC Governorship ticket”, Alhaji Ahmad Aliyu, for their leaving the party for PDP on account of exceedingly conspicuous humility of Tambuwal and his deputy, Hon. Manir Muhammad Dan’Iya.
Sokoto State PDP Governorship Candidate, Alhaji Sai’du Umar, left, and his running mate, Sagir Bafarawa, during the statewide campaigns on Sunday January 1, 2023.
Essentially, astute banker and former Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Sai’du Umar, is PDP Governorship Candidate for Sokoto State with Alhaji Sagir Bafarawa as his running mate, while Alhaji Ahmad Aliyu and Alhaji Idris Muhammad Gobir are APC Governorship Candidate and Running Mate, respectively, in the state.
At Silame on Sunday, those scores of thousands who dumped APC for PDP included the APC Youth Leader in the area, Vice Chairman and some other executive members of the APC.
Receiving the defectors, the state PDP Chairman, Hon Bello Aliyu Goronyo, gave them assurance of accommodation and told the new members that everyone of them will be carried along in all party activities.
Governor Tambuwal, while speaking at the campaign, highlighted the achievements of his administration and ongoing interventions in the area.
He also informed the gathering that the state government had been rendering logistics’ support to the security agencies in order to decimate bandits ravaging some parts of the state.
He said the people of the state will witness more positive developmental strides throughout the remaining period of his tenure.
In his speech, the PDP governorship candidate, Mallam Saidu Umar, appreciated the large turnout and pledged to improve on the solid foundation laid by the present administration.
He maintained that the almost eight years of Tambuwal’s administration, which he was part of, had impacted positively in virtually all sectors in the state.
He reiterated that, if he succeeds his boss as governor of Sokoto State, he would sustain and improve more his legacies.
Umar also promised to execute the Rundi-Katami-Silame road project for the benefit of Sokoto State.
He further gave his commitment to look at the issue of the Surame Monument towards improving the revenue generation drive of the local government and the state in general.
While in Wamakko LGA, the campaign train received a rousing welcome as residents in their thousands trooped out in show of support, solidarity and acceptability.
Also, at the campaign ground, over 17,000 supporters of the APC dumped the party, and identified with the ruling PDP.
The decampees were led b Alhaji Zayyanu Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, nephew to the leader of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State, Senator Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko.
Zayyanu, who is also a son in-law to the current Minister for Police Affairs, Muhammad Maigari Dingyaɗi, also an APC chieftain in the state, told PDP supporters that his move was inspired by the progressive spirit of Governor Tambuwal.
He also said what attracted him to join the PDP with his teeming supporters were the developmental landmarks of the current state administration and expressed his readiness to work for the party in its efforts to improve the lives of the people.
In his remarks, the state deputy governor, Hon. Manir Muhammad Dan Iya, who is also the main challenger to Sen. Wamakko for the Sokoto North Senatorial seat, saw the downfall of his opponent in the forthcoming election.
