•No deadline for defectors, says PDP
Olusola Fabiyi, Success Nwogu, Hindi Livinus, Adeniyi Olugbemi and Enyioha Opara
The Adamawa State Governor, Mohammed Bindow, and his Niger State counterpart, Abubakar Bello, have dismissed speculations that they are preparing to dump the All Progressives Congress to join the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.
The governors made their positions known in separate interactions with newsmen in their various states.
Bindow spoke while responding to a question on the subject on his return to Yola, the state capital, after an official visit to Abuja, on Monday.
He said, “I cannot leave the APC.”
The governor explained that despite the gale of defections that hit the APC at the national level, the party remained strong in Adamawa State.
“The people of Adamawa are happy with the APC government hence I have no reason to leave the party. Adamawa will remain an APC state.
“For me, there’s no opposition. The people will vote Governor Bindow because this is the best governor the state has ever had.”
The governor also explained that only one of his commissioners resigned to seek elective office on the platform of the PDP.
Speaking in a similar vein, his Niger State counterpart, Abubakar Bello, told one of our correspondents that he had no reason to leave the party.
He said, “I remain a member of the APC and there is no wisdom leaving my beloved party. Three months ago, a special state congress of the ruling APC congress unanimously endorsed me and President Muhammadu Buhari by party members.”
The governor, who spoke through his Coordinator, Media and Publicity, Mr Jide Orintusin, said, “We make bold to say that the Niger State governor and the people are for and will remain in the APC and there is no going back.
“The state is absolutely committed to the APC in all ramifications so why do we have to leave what belongs to us?”
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party said it had not set a deadline for those planning to defect from the APC or any other parties in order to join the PDP.
The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, told one of our correspondents, in Abuja, on Monday, that the party had opened its doors to all who were willing to join it.
He said, “We have no deadline for anyone joining us. The doors of the PDP are wide open for anyone who wants to come in. We have not set any deadline as being speculated in some quarters.
“We have constitutional provisions concerning those who want to run for offices in our party. So, nobody should fret about timing or otherwise. We have opened our doors.
“We are officially welcoming those who joined us last week in Abuja this week. We want to welcome those who have abandoned the sinking ship of the All Progressives Congress to a winning team that will take the country to another level of comfort and prosperity.”
One of our correspondents earlier learnt that the PDP was still expecting four governors to defect from the ruling party to join its ranks.
The governors being expected are those of Kwara, Niger, Sokoto and Adamawa states.
Sources close to the party said that governors of Kwara and Sokoto states, Abdulfatah Ahmed and Aminu Tambuwal, would join to be closely followed by their counterparts from Niger and Adamawa states.
A source, privy to the negotiations which led to the harvest of the APC legislators in the National Assembly, gave the assurance that more members of the ruling party would soon join the PDP.
The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, said, “The APC will soon know that a majority of Nigerians have left them with the expected defection of four more governors from its rank.
“Don’t forget, before the Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, decided to shoot them in the foot with his defection, the national leadership of the APC had been boasting that he would not go. They considered him an asset.
“But when he left the party, they said he couldn’t even win an election in his state. That tells you how deceitful the party is. Some of the governors have known that they are in a wrong political party. Therefore, they are ready to leave.”
All appears set for the Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, to leave the APC. Apart from the hint he gave two weeks ago, the National Working Committee of the APC had dissolved the state party executive.
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