The gale of defections rocking the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seem not to have abated as the Niger State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Ahmed Musa Ibeto and over 200 political office holders today defected from the PDP to the All Progressive Congress (APC), Punch reports.
Ibeto justified his defection to the opposition party saying he and other aspirants in the PDP gubernatorial primary elections were maltreated in order to favour some candidates. He described the exercise that threw up the candidacy of Alhaji Umar Nasko as the PDP governorship candidate in the state as flawed and lacking credibility.
Ibeto told journalists after announcing his defection , “I am on my way to welcome our party leader and presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, at Minna Airport for his campaign rally in Niger State.”
“The electoral process that threw up Alhaji Umar Nasko as PDP governorship candidate was not in accordance with the PDP electoral law and the constitution”.
“It is true we are defecting to APC because the primaries conducted were not in accordance with the PDP constitution. Myself and other aggrieved party members decided to petition the National Headquarters of the party on the outcome of the governorship primaries with a view to addressing the obvious injustice but met a brick-wall.
“We were expecting justice from the party’s national office but nothing was forthcoming, hence we decided to join the APC.”
Ibeto however cautioned his supporters to be law abiding and not to make politics a do-or-die battle.
Current members of the National Assembly and State House of Assembly as well as former commissioners and former local governments chairmen were among those who defected to the APC alongside the deputy governor.
In a related development, top chieftains of the PDP are said to be uncomfortable with the massive defection of members of the party across the country.
Ibeto justified his defection to the opposition party saying he and other aspirants in the PDP gubernatorial primary elections were maltreated in order to favour some candidates. He described the exercise that threw up the candidacy of Alhaji Umar Nasko as the PDP governorship candidate in the state as flawed and lacking credibility.
Ibeto told journalists after announcing his defection , “I am on my way to welcome our party leader and presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, at Minna Airport for his campaign rally in Niger State.”
“The electoral process that threw up Alhaji Umar Nasko as PDP governorship candidate was not in accordance with the PDP electoral law and the constitution”.
“It is true we are defecting to APC because the primaries conducted were not in accordance with the PDP constitution. Myself and other aggrieved party members decided to petition the National Headquarters of the party on the outcome of the governorship primaries with a view to addressing the obvious injustice but met a brick-wall.
“We were expecting justice from the party’s national office but nothing was forthcoming, hence we decided to join the APC.”
Ibeto however cautioned his supporters to be law abiding and not to make politics a do-or-die battle.
Current members of the National Assembly and State House of Assembly as well as former commissioners and former local governments chairmen were among those who defected to the APC alongside the deputy governor.
In a related development, top chieftains of the PDP are said to be uncomfortable with the massive defection of members of the party across the country.
