Major defections lurk on PDP as Governors of Zamfara, Bauchi, Cross River set for APC

By BASHIR ADEFAKA

The DEFENDER can authoritatively report that there are moves underway to capture some big-fish politicians of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by the emerging biggest Africa’s political party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Although PDP chieftains mainly Dr. Doyin Okupe had predicted that the APC would not live for two years (2013-2014) before it would die, when it was formed by consortiums of four parties namely the Congress for Progressives Change (CPC), the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and a faction of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), it is has survived not only pre-2015 torturous experiences but went and returned victorious from the two generations it has partaken in so far.  Today, it has become the political destination of choice for all progressives minded politicians be they currently in PDP or any other.

For this reason and more, whereas some leaders in the PDP had by their own volition joined the governing premising their decisions on the personality of President Muhammadu Buhari and achievements of his government, some have been wooed and are still being wooed either to join the APC for the first time or return to it as their former party.

Among those that have joined include the Governor of Ebonyi State, Engr. Dave Nweze Umahi, former Governor of Adamawa State, Alhaji Jibrilla Bindow, while those being wooed to join and who are the current bids on the table include the Governors of Zamfara, Bauchi and Cross River states, Hon. Mohammed Bello Mutawalle, Senator Bala Muhammed and Professor Ben Ayade, respectively.

The DEFENDER reports that Governor of Edo State cannot be counted as PDP governor considering the circumstances of his contest on the platform and that more progressives in the conservative group and conservatives in the progressives group will adjust as the time for alignment and realignment comes.  Governor of Zamfara State, Mohammed Bello Mutawalle is particularly noted as a progressives minded politician that APC will celebrate once he makes up his mind soonest.

Leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, owing to the latest development, has been thrown into panic due to the frantic effort of a party, which they claimed would die but has continued to wax stronger daily, to bring those three of its governors and who are notably strategic in the political landscape of Nigeria.

While the negotiations are being handled by the Yobe State Governor, Alhaji Mai Mala Buni, who is also the Chairman of the APC Caretaker Committee and Governor of Kogi State, Barrister Yahaya Bello, a source very close to the Governor of Zamfara State confirmed to the The DEFENDER in Gusau, the state capital, Tuesday’s morning that it was true that his boss was being wooed.

He, however, said Governor Mutawalle was yet to give his word on it but he did not tell the reason the governor is dragging his feet and why he has lingered over the choice.

The source said: “This is glaring to everybody in the country that APC is wooing His Excellency Governor Mutawalle through the former governor of the state, Senator Ahmad Sani Yarima.  But the governor has not made up his mind on the matter,” he said.

An APC source in Lagos also confirmed the information to The DEFENDER by simply replying, “We heard so.”

An impeccable source, also within the APC, reportedly said Governor Ifeanyi Uguwanyi of Enugu State was also being targeted by the APC but had declined their advances.

“Uguwanyi has been targeted but he is proving stubborn. Our aim is to ensure that we have at least three South-East states out of the five ahead of the 2023 elections. If we cannot get Ugwuanyi, we will ensure that we win the Anambra governorship election which comes up later in the year,” he said.

It was learnt that Governor Matawalle of Zamfara State had already been accepted by top All Progressives Congress leaders in Zamfara State like a former governor of the state, Senator Ahmed Yarima, who had stated publicly that Matawalle would defect.

A PDP chieftain said, “Matawalle became governor through a Supreme Court ruling. Zamfara State is still very much APC and Matawalle is seeking a second term in office. He has been able to establish a good relationship with President Muhammadu Buhari.

“He has also been at loggerheads with the leadership of the PDP. In November 2020, Matawalle lashed out at the South-South governors of the PDP for generating bad blood in the party.

“He said he was disappointed with the South-South governors for sparking the controversy over the Zamfara gold issue and even said he was not surprised by the decision of Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State to dump the PDP for the APC. He is therefore expected to join APC soon.”

Reportedly, it was learned that Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Mohammed Bala, was also expected to join the APC soon and had already begun taking pro-APC positions on several matters.

“Bala Mohammed is also seeking a second term. His recent statements on herdsmen and his refusal to blame the Federal Government are due to his relationship with the Presidency. We have made frantic efforts to keep him in the party but it seems he may have made up his mind,” he said.

It was learned that Ayade had lost control of the PDP structure in the state.

A former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, is also expected to leave the PDP soon along with some governors before the registration exercise of the APC ends.  It is however not certain as sources within the governing party do not favour him.

“The recent membership drive is being championed by Governor Buni, Governor Yahaya Bello; Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN). These are people who have the power to give you what the PDP cannot give.

“They have the President’s backing to make promises and keep them. They are not like Bola Tinubu and Adams Oshiomhole who were not empowered by the President,” a former governor stated in a report by PUNCH.

Meanwhile, the report said that former President Goodluck Jonathan had not made any commitment to join the APC as of Saturday evening.

An associate of the former President said indeed Jonathan was not happy with the PDP which informed his support for the APC candidate in the last governorship election in his home state of Bayelsa, Mr. David Lyon.

It was, however, learnt that Jonathan saw the move as too risky.

“Jonathan would have joined the APC but the problem is that it is too risky. At his level, the only thing you can promise him is the Presidency and no one can promise him that seat because politics is too unpredictable. So, for now, he will remain in the PDP,” he said.

The National Chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, had on Saturday alleged that the leadership of the APC is giving false promises to some members of the opposition party to enable them to defect to the ruling party.

Secondus was said to been reported by PUNCH that there had been many moves by the ruling party to woo members of the PDP into its fold, saying the purpose of the APC was to snatch the PDP members but later refuse to give them any meaningful role in the party in future.