Three chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara State have dumped the party for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
The three members of the party are: Salihu Maibuhu, Rabi,u Ilili and Abubakar Bargaja who were supporters of former Governor Abdul Aziz Yari.
They announced their defection to the opposition PDP with thousands of their supporters, a situation that has dented the reconciliation process between Governor Bello Matawalle and Yari.
Speaking to Punch on phone, one of the defectors, Salihu Maibuhu, said they were not interested in the reconciliation process between Matawalle and Yari, as such they decided to join PDP.
”We are not interested in Matawalle, Yari reconciliation and we have decided to defect to the opposition PDP in the state.
“We are not with Governor Bello Mattawalle and that was why we left the APC together with our supporters.
“We will however continue with our relationship with the former Governor Abdul Aziz Yari,” said Maibuhu.
In his reaction, the spokesperson for the state chapter of Zamfara APC, Yusuf Idris, said the party was never moved by the defection to PDP even though they did not officially announce their defection.
Idris said, “The APC has never been moved by their decision to defect even as they failed to officially inform the party of their move which was without any reason but self-aggrandisement.
“Just as they left the APC, we are happy that the ruling party has continued to receive and welcome more defectors in the state and keeping it ahead of other political parties.”
15 APC Chieftains Dump Party in Kaduna
In a related development, not less than 15 chieftains of the APC in Kaduna State have dumped the party, citing a lack of internal democracy.
One of those who decamped revealed that about 500 members are joining them following unresolved matters in the State Party.
The latest party chieftains, who left the party on Thursday, July 21, 2022 were: Mallam Audu Bode, Alh. Shuabu Ahmed, Hon. Habila Latu, Boniface Ubandoma, Mr. Yakubu Simon, Jashua Peter, Camio Bitrus, Patrick Paul (Pato), Mr. Samuel Wyah, Zaka Makoshi, Jonathan Fedelix, Barnabas Samuel (Barry), Shua’ibu Yusuf, Alexander Danladi (Lulu), Samuel Ibrahim.
The APC Legal Adviser in Jema’a Local Government Area, Hon. Ibrahim Samuel, in a letter addressed to his Ward Chairman, said, “His decision to dump the party was based on the internal crises of the party. Samuel and Hon. Ibrahim Samuel (Oganto) and issued to newsmen in Kaduna on Thursday, the decampees lamented that the names that emanated during the last party congress were entirely different from the ones brought to be used for the primaries.
The different names, they claimed, were responsible for the present court case between Sen. Uba Sani and Sha’aban.
“Another reason was that the State House of Assembly party primaries has come and gone but certainly not without some avoidable challenges. It is only logical and ideal that after every contest all the aspirants that lost in the contest are brought together for genuine reconciliation with the flag bearer. Last month, instead of calling for reconciliation, the party stakeholders of our local government met at Kaduna under the guise of reconciliation, but the meeting turned out issuing warnings and threats to those that lost in the last primaries should any of them be caught in any anti-party activity in the forthcoming election.”