Why We Dumped Pdp for Apc, By Governors

Bisi Olaniyi, Port Harcourt, Adekunle Jimoh, Ilorin, Barnabas Manyam, Yola and Kolade Adeyemi, Kano in Featured, News 1 day ago

There was a surge of excitement yesterday across the states whose governors defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Supporters of the governors in Rivers, Kwara and Adamawa hailed the decision.

Governors Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers) and his Adamawa State counterpart Murtala Nyako also spoke on why they took the decision.

Amaechi said his state had suffered neglect under the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan. He said he decided to join the All Progressives Congress (APC) to protect Rivers’ interests.

Nyako hinged his decision on the “injustice” suffered by the PDP in the state under the party’s National Chairman, Bamanga Tukur. He said all efforts to reverse the injustice failed.

Apart from Amaechi and Nyako, Sokoto State Governor Aliyu Wamakko, Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso and Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed also joined the APC in what has been described as the biggest political cross movement since 1999.

Other leaders of the New PDP, led by Alhaji Kawu Baraje including former Kwara State Governor Dr. Bukola Saraki also signed up.

Amaechi, who is also the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), noted that the issues he and the other aggrieved members of the G-7 raised were not resolved by President Jonathan and the PDP.

Amaechi, who spoke with reporters on Tuesday at the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, shortly on arrival from Abuja, said: “Yes; we have joined the APC, after the meeting we had with (Gen) Muhammadu Buhari, (Asiwaju Bola) Tinubu and the interim Chairman of the APC (Chief Bisi Akande).

“The governors met on Monday and decided that we must meet with the APC leadership and when we met with the APC leadership, it was important we took a position and the position we took is for the good of our democracy and to ensure that Nigeria moves forward.

“We cannot continue the way we are, where we are. The picture painted by the PDP was as if we were begging to come back to the PDP and issues were not being looked into; issues were not being resolved and it is important that we resolve it one way or the other.”

Giving an insight into the development, the NGF chairman said the new PDP decided that it was important that the members move into the APC and position themselves for the next elections.

His words: “Rivers State must know that for me to have...