In Adamawa, 1,615 APC members have defected to the PDP, where they will meet Atiku.

Ibekimi Oriamaja Reports

In Adamawa State, 1,615 members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have reportedly defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The APC members from the state’s Toungo Local Government Area were received into the PDP on Saturday, according to Track News.

Mustapha Albashir, Alhaji Gana, and Mallam Yahaya Abubakar, who spoke on behalf of the defectors, said there are more people ready to join the PDP.

They claim that after seven years in the APC, they cannot account for anything tangible the party has accomplished under President Muhammadu Buhari.

They lamented the country’s worsening insecurity, stagnation and poverty under the APC administration, saying they have learned their lessons after voting out PDP in the 2015 elections.

The defectors went on to say that Buhari’s administration failed to keep its campaign promises to Nigerians.

The defectors, who were received by Adamawa State PDP chapter chairman Tahir Shehu, said they were now convinced that the umbrella camp was the right place because of the genuine change brought about by Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri since the PDP ousted the APC in the state in 2019.

“Our journey into the APC was meaningless; we banded together to defeat the PDP since 2015, but we have realized we made a mistake,” Abubakar said.

“We invited our children and family members to retrace their steps in gratitude for the progress we have seen in Toungo because this council had been in darkness for over 30 years before the PDP administration of Governor Fintiri reconnected it to the national grid. We are not ungrateful because the administration has incurred a debt that we must repay with our votes and support. Unfortunately, the APC has set us back, and we are leaving the party in search of one that has brought us development.”

Shehu, for his part, stated that former Vice President and PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has asked to shake hands with the 1,615 new members who have shown courage in protesting against bad governance.

He stated that the standard procedure was for the party to greet them at the ward level, which the party did.

“Atiku has asked the party to bring 1,615 of you who left the party in Toungo to his mega rally in Yola on August 15 to celebrate his emergence as the PDP presidential flagbearer, because he would like to shake hands with you.” “Shehu stated.