Tension hits Nigerian opposition party as 8 former House of Assembly aspirants defect to ruling party

According to Vanguard, the members of the PDP defected from the party to the ruling All Progressives Congress on Tuesday, January 17.

Their defection was announced by Yusuf Idris, APC’s publicity secretary in Zamfara state in a statement.

He also made this known when he met Governor Bello Matawalle in Gusau.

The Punch reports that Idris noted that all the former aspirants for the state’s House of Assembly had participated in various PDP primary elections in their respective constituencies across the state.

The new defectors and their constituencies are Kasimu Jafaru from the Zurmi West constituency, Rukkayya Abdullahi from the Zurmi East constituency, Isah Ibrahim-Labbo from the Anka constituency and Abubakar Abdulaziz, from the Tsafe East constituency.

Others include Bala Ibrahim and Jamilu Bawa from Birnin Magaji state assembly constituencies, Ibrahim Surajo from Zurmi West and the leader of the defecting team, and Murtala Mainasara from the Shinkafi constituency.

In the statement, Idris added that the former aspirants were presented to Governor Matawalle by Tukur Danfulani, the chairman of the APC in Zamfara state.

He also noted that the aspirants have already submitted all their PDP certificates of clearance to the governor.

One of the former aspirants said: “Our decision to join APC was due to lack of political focus and direction in the PDP.

“Our defection to the APC was informed by the focused and visionary leadership style of Governor Matawalle in tackling insecurity and bringing economic transformation.”