Why govs, others are defecting to APC — Gov Sule

By Abel Daniel

Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has attributed recent gale of defections by opposition politicians into the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to President Bola Tinubu’s good leadership.

Recall tht no fewer than four governors elected on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and scores of senators and members of the House of Representatives have in the last one year, defected to the ruling party, also from Labour Party, LP, Social Democratic Party, SDP, and New Nigerian Peoples Party, NNPP.

The governor, who stated this at the grand reception of Senator Aliyu Wadada who recently decamped from  Social Democratic Party, SDP to APC in the state, said that contrary to claims that opposition politicians were joining the APC because they desired to win elections in 2027, they were joining the ruling party because of the positive impacts of the reforms initiated by President Tinubu.

While congratulating  President Tinubu for being courageous and for embarking on critical reforms for the benefit of the country, Governor Sule said: “I want to specifically, at this moment, congratulate President Ahmed Bola Tinubu.

”It is because of the good reforms he is bringing in and a courageous one for that matter that today, every time the progressive governors go for a meeting, we are welcoming one governor into our party.

“This is what you see as the holy Bible said, when the righteous are in control, the people rejoice. The people of Nigeria are rejoicing because we have a courageous President who is taking decisions for the benefit of the country.

“Governors who are the leaders in their states, are seeing exactly what is happening in the country and they are returning back into our party not really for them to win elections. No. They are joining our party in order to align with the policies of our President.

“If the party is not doing well, even as a sitting President, you will lose. It is not right to think that because the APC is the ruling party, that is why people are not leaving the party. They are not leaving APC because APC is the right party today, tomorrow and forever,”

On the return of Senator Wadada to the party, the governor said APC now had a senator in the state.

“Wadada’s home coming signifies a turning point for the APC in Nasarawa State, especially with the planned defection also by another SDP national lawmaker, Senator Godiya Akwashiki (SDP, Nasarawa North), as well as several state lawmakers,” he said.

Sule, however, assured that his administration would provide a level playing field for the best candidate to emerge to fly the flag of the party in 2027.

He said: “We are going to be fair and just. I want to hand over to a successor who has the capacity to lead the people, who has mass appeal and who is capable of winning the election.”

He reassured that his administration would conduct a free, fair and transparent governorship primary election that would be acceptable to all the aspirants.

“There is no doubt that if the primary election of the party is free, fair and transparent, just like during the 2019 election, even if Senator Wadada loses out, he will support the winner,” he added.

At the ceremony, Senator Ahmed Wadada Aliyu (APC, Nasarawa West), announced a donation of 18 Sharon vehicles to be distributed to the 13 local government party secretariat, as well as the three zonal offices of the party.

State chairman of the party, Dr. Aliyu Bello, who assured all aspirants of level playing field in the party,

lamented the bitter acrimony and accusations levelled against him for preparing grounds for Senator Wadada to become governor of the state in 2027.

He assured all aspirants that Governor Abdullahi Sule would decide who succeeds him.

“I have been insulted and humiliated by so many people who alleged that I was playing anti party in favour of my friend, Senator Wadada, who is in SDP. But I want to assure everyone here today that I am not the one to decide on who becomes the next governor of the state.

“Whoever Governor Sule, the leader of the party in the state, chose to succeed him would be our candidate and all of us would support him in 2027,” Bello said.

In his remarks, Senator Wadada described his return to the APC as home coming because he played a key role in the merger which led to the formation of the party in 2013.

Wadada urged Governor Sule to sustain the tempo by providing a level playing field for the people of Nasarawa State to be able to decide who emerged his successor in 2027.

I want all of us to come together. Whoever emerges as the gubernatorial candidate under the APC we are going to work for that person,” he said.

The post Why govs, others are defecting to APC — Gov Sule appeared first on Vanguard News.