Seventeen chieftains of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and their supporters defected to All Progressives Congress (APC) on Saturday ahead of President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to Adamawa on Tuesday.
The PDP chieftains include Ahmed Gulak, the Special Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Felix Tangwami, Medan Teneke, Sahabo Aliyu and Alhaji Saidu Aliyu.
Other defectors were Chief Lazarus Gugu, Mustafa Maigari and Yusuf Dan-Umma, among others.
Gulak, who addressed supporters at the event in Yola said they left the PDP with their 42,000 supporters “because of the impunity in the party.
“It is time for us to register formally as APC members. It is time to formally bury PDP in Adamawa.”
Gulak noted that the APC government at all levels had done a lot for Adamawa and the North East in general.
According to him, the APC constitution, which provides equal opportunity to both old and new members, proves to them that the party is the most democratic in Nigeria.
“Take us as equal partners; take us as your brothers and sisters. In APC you don’t need waiver if you are a new comer to contest any position,” Gulak said.
Receiving the defectors, the North East National Vice Chairman of APC, Mustafa Salihu said the development was a big boost for the party.
“You are our twin brothers; it’s just that we left PDP to join APC before you. Now that you have realised the impunity we earlier realised in PDP and decided to quit and join us, we welcome you.”
Salihu lauded the state leadership of the party and the state APC-led government for recording such a big catch of prominent opposition party leaders in a swoop.
