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Tag: Defection

  • 2019: Shehu Sani, other Kaduna senators clear air on alleged defection from APC

    Sen. Shehu Sani (APC-Kaduna) says he is yet to defect from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to any other party.

    Sani made this known in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Friday.

    He said that consultations were still ongoing with regard to the future of the party.

    “I am yet to defect or decamp or migrate from the APC to any other party.

    “However, discussions and consultations are ongoing as regard to our future in the Party.

    “Decision will be taken in a matter of week or two whether to remain in the party or migrate.

    “When the time comes, I will make a formal announcement on the floor of the Senate, my Facebook and Twitter handle,” he said.

    There were reports earlier on Friday, claiming that Sani and Sen. Suleiman Hunkuyi (APC-Kaduna) had left the APC.

    The report was credited to the Hunkuyi-led faction of the APC.

    The group, which is said to be known as APC Akida, purportedly made the statement in Kaduna.

    Meanwhile, Sani had said via his Facebook handle that “We the persecuted are on Exodus, riding on horses, chariots and caravans, departing Pharaoh Thutmose’s Egypt.

    “We are now at the coast of the Red Sea, about to leave the land of cruelty and injustice.”

    The lawmaker has been having running battle with his state Governor, Nasir El-rufai, who also belongs to the APC.

    There are indications that Sani is nursing the idea of picking a governorship ticket for the 2019 election, a decision which he claimed had pitched him against the governor among other things.

  • 2019: Kwara APC declares total support for Saraki, awaits directives on defection

    The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara state on said declared its loyalty to Senate President, Bukola Saraki.

    The party also said it is awaiting Saraki’s directive on defection from the ruling party.

    The State Chairman of the party, Ishola Balogun-Fulani told reporters in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital that members of the party remained committed to Saraki and would follow his decision.

    Balogun-Fulani described the APC as a broken party, saying the cord of unity among members had been severed due to internal wrangling and the “unwarranted” trial of the Senate President.

    When asked to respond to a call last week by the party’s three senatorial chairmen asking Saraki to lead them out of the APC, he said:”Everyone has a right to express what he wants but as for us, we wait on what our leader (Saraki) will decide ”

    Baligun- Fulani expressed relief, satisfaction and justification by the decision of the Supreme Court acquitting Saraki of allegations of false asset declaration, pointing out that the party held the same position since the now ended trial began three years ago.

    “Like we have always maintained, no political party ever survived war waged against itself. Indeed, It is now clear that the bond of cohesion in the APC has been weakened, damaged, fractured and severed.

     

  • Mass defection may hit APC as Saraki, Dogara, Tambuwal, other nPDP leaders hold talks

    Aggrieved members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) held a closed door meeting where the participants weighed several options, with majority backing the idea of a mass defection from the ruling party.

    The meeting was attended by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, among other chieftains of the APC on Wednesday.

    A statement yesterday by the chairman of the nPDP, Alhaji Kawu Baraje, said the meeting was called to intimate members on the outcome of an earlier meeting with the leadership of the APC.

    Baraje and other members of the nPDP on Monday met with APC stakeholders over allegation of marginalization against in the ruling party.

    The group, in April, demanded to meet with officials of the ruling party to discuss their grievances and expectations from the APC and the Muhammadu Buhari-led government.

    “Following this development, the party invited us and we honoured their invitation for a meeting. We met with the leadership of the party last week, during which we resolved to report the outcome of our meeting to our members and stakeholders before arriving at any decision or proceeding with the next phase of discussions or actions with the APC and government,” Baraje said in the statement.

    But on the list of the nPDP members at the Wednesday meeting provided by Baraje were names of political office holders that were never part of the nPDP or its parent party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), checks by Daily Trust on Sunday showed.

    One of those in attendance at the meeting said last night that the meeting was not restricted to the members of the nPDP block in the APC alone as other ‘like-minds’ also attended.

    As part of the outcome, it was learnt, there is the likelihood that the affected members would leave the party in en masse, Daily Trust on Sunday has learnt.

    The source, who is a lawmaker, said they discussed issues relating to how some of them were treated during the last congresses of the party and the way forward.

    The lawmaker, who was never part of the nPDP, said they may leave the party if no concrete action was taken to address their grievances.

    The meeting was well attended, with some governors who could not make it sending their apologies, the source said.

    “I was at the meeting as a like-mind, not as a member of the nPDP because I was never part of them. We felt that so many things are going wrong in the party. Most members of the nPDP are not well treated.

    “Look at what they are doing to Dino Melaye, who is an APC senator. Even during the PDP era, nobody did such a thing to anybody. The police would drag a senator who suffered for the party on the ground and no action was taken.

    “Again, if you look at the congresses held, many nPDP members were sidelined, so they need justice. But the ultimate decision taken is to give the party some time to see if they would address the issues. If they don’t, then we’ll have no option than to leave,” the source said.

    Asked which party they would join in the event that their grievances are not addressed, the source said no decision was taken on that.“We all worked for the APC and we should be treated equally; that’s what we are saying,” the lawmaker added.

    Another lawmaker, who is a member of the nPDP, confirmed that the meeting was for like-minds as other members also attended.

    Another source, who was at the meeting, said the tone was set by the Senate president who opened the floor by speaking about the plight of the members of the nPDP in the APC.

    The source said: “After Saraki spoke, he asked us what would be our next step. We told him that we thought the meeting was convened for us to pull out of the APC.”

    The senator said, at the end of the meeting, they resolved to pick one of two options.

    “One of the two options supported by the majority was the immediate pulling out of the APC. Almost everybody who attended the meeting supported this option.

    “But the issue now is that we must forestall the repeat of what happened to us when we joined the APC. Most of the speakers said we must have concrete agreements between us and the party that we will cross to,” he said.

    The second option was for them to remain in the APC and continue to consult and strategise, adding, however, that it did not go down well with majority of the aggrieved members in attendance.

    “This last option was not supported by many of us. The first option was the one that majority of us supported. The meeting was well attended by almost all members of the nPDP from across the country,” he said.

    Asked to name those who attended the meeting, the source who spoke after seeing the statement issued by Baraje said: “All the names listed in the statement were in attendance, but Tambuwal was just a listener at the meeting. He didn’t say anything.”

    Daily Trust on Sunday gathered that the meeting set up three committees to advise it on the next line of action to take.

    “The first committee has been tasked to articulate the grievances of those who attended the meeting, including nPDP members and many others that joined much later but could not be fully accommodated, a source said, adding, “The committee has been directed to look at the relationship with the APC and the presidency; how they were shoved aside by the current leadership and the failure of President Muhammadu Buhari to fully resolve the problem,” the source said.

    “The second committee was tasked to look at the state of the nation, including the economy and others. They were also asked to aggregate the political strength of aggrieved members in their states; the mass of people they could go along with in the event they would leave the party.

    “The third committee is expected to shop for a strong political party they could join as a group so that they could negotiate from the position of strength,” he said.

    Another source said the aggrieved members were already in talks with the PDP and ADC.

    “Many of those that attended Wednesday’s meeting strongly feel that PDP is the party to join because Nigerians know it very well and it has structures all over.

    “But the condition for joining the PDP is that the name should be changed. They want the letter ‘A’ to precede PDP so that the party would now be called ‘APDP’, and this is for two reasons. The first is to enable the party appear on top of the ballot paper so that Nigerians would find it easier to trace it. The PDP is down in the ballot; and remember that we have about 68 political parties now.

    “The second reason is that in the event the ADC agrees to merge with the PDP, its first letter ‘A’ which stands for Africa that would be adopted,” he said.

    “Even though the aggrieved legislators said in their communiqué that they would not leave the APC, that is not the actual case,” a source close to one of the aggrieved senators, said.

    “Yes they would remain if their grievances are met, which is very unlikely because in most instances, it means that Buhari would tame governors in favour of legislators and others. The conceivable option is to leave the party. I can assure you that at present, at least 20 senators and no fewer than 100 members of the House of Representatives are set to go.

    “And there would be a band wagon effect, meaning that more legislators would leave in the coming months ahead of party primaries in order to actualise their dreams.

    “As things stand, with the exception of very few, many senators and reps have lost out the battle to their governors in their states after the congresses, and there are others, especially ex-governors who might likely leave despite the fact that they are in control of the APC in their states. They have security a report that the EFCC will not spare them immediately after the election,” he said.

    The meeting was well attended by members of the nPDP, including serving and former governors, senators, members of the House of Representatives and other aggrieved APC stakeholders, Baraje said in the statement.

    “Those that attended the meeting include Sen. Saraki, President of the Senate; Yakubu Dogara, Speaker, House of Representatives; Tambuwal, governor of Sokoto State; Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso; Prince Oyinlola, Admiral Murtala Nyako (rtd); Sen. Adamu Aliero; Sen. Danjuma Goje; Sen. John Enoh; Sen. Andy Uba; Sen. Ibrahim Gobir; Sen. Rufai Ibrahim; Sen. Ibrahim Danbaba; Sen. Suleman Nazif; Sen. Isa Misau; Sen. Muhammed Shitu; Sen. Shehu Sani; Sen. Dino Melaye; Sen. Suleiman Hunkuyi; Sen. Shaaba Lafiagi; Sen. Bala Ibn Na’Allah; Sen. David Umaru; Sen. Barnabas Gemade; Alh. Abubakar Baraje, chairman, former nPDP; Rep. Aminu Shagari; Rep. Kabiru Marafa Achida; Isa M. Ashiru; Hon. Muh’d Musa Soba; Hon. Mark Gbillah; Rep. Sani Mohammed Rano; Rep. Garba Umar Durbunde and Rep. Aliyu Madaki, he said.

    “Others are Rep. Zakari Mohammed, Hon. Rufai Ahmed Chachangi; Hon. Razak Atunwa; Hon. Emmanuel M. Udende; Hon. Hassan Saleh; Hon. Nasiru Garo Sule; Hon. Orker Jev; Hon. Aliyu Ahman Pategi; Hon. Isah Halilu B.; Hon. Rabiu Garba Kaugama; Hon. Abdussamad Dasuki; Hon. Ismaila A. Gadaka; Hon. Lado Suleja; Hon. Dickson Tarkighir; Hon. Babatunde Kolawole; Hon. Dr. Bode Ayorinde; Hon. U. Danjuma Shida; Hon. Danburam Nuhu; Hon. Sunday Adepoju; Hon. Sani Zorro; Hon. Ahmed Garba Bichi; and Hon. Garba Ibrahim Mohammed, among others.”

  • 2019: Kwara Gov, Abdulfatah Ahmed refutes defection rumours

    Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State has debunked claims that he is planning to return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    A statement on Tuesday by his media aide, Muyideen Akorede, said the governor, Senate President Bukola Saraki and other political leaders in Kwara State have no reason to return to the PDP, or join any other party, unless pressured by supporters.

    Ahmed clarified that the insinuations, which emerged from his recent interview, did not suggest he was planning to leave; rather, he was stating the conditions under which he and other stakeholders left the PDP.

    The governor emphasised that he, Saraki and other governors left the PDP due to impunity, disregard for the rule of law and lack of inclusiveness.

    He reiterated that they are committed to the APC and have no intention of defecting.

    Ahmed urged those commenting on the matter to read the interview properly rather than relying on social media headlines and insinuations to draw uninformed conclusions.

    Chieftains of the APC in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State have dismissed insinuations of their planned defection to the PDP.

    A member of the party recently said the APC leaders defected to the PDP for alleged marginalisation.

    A statement by a member of the party caucus, Idris Buko, thanked the leaders for giving them what were due to them, saying “as a party faithful, we say with all sense of modesty that we are not marginalised”.

    The statement reads: “To set the records straight, at no time or forum was the issue of leaving APC discussed.

    “However, it’s pertinent to state here that the author of the publication is a card-carrying member of PDP, and it is incontrovertible that he participated in the elections as a member of PDP; the records are there.

    “It’s laughable for a non-party member, who we learnt has been commissioned to destabilise our party, to come up with the theory of defection. We were not surprised he went to town with concocted falsehood to seek unavailable attention and relevance in APC.

    “The Baruten chapter of our party is proud of our leaders, both at the National and State levels, for their contributions to the success and growth of our party in the state.

    “We, therefore, call on party members and supporters at home and in Diaspora, to disregard Samari Abdullah’s self delusion of getting attention from the party hierarchy as a dream, as we remain loyal to the APC.”

     

  • PDP Reps protest, walk out over defection of Igbokwe to APC

    Members of the House of Representatives elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are protesting the defection of a member Mr. Raphael Igbokwe, from its fold to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Igbokwe, who is from Imo State, first came to the House in 2011.

    PDP members immediately walked out in protest after the Speaker, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, allowed the defection to stand.

    PDP members had argued that based on the recent decision of the Supreme Court, there was no division in the party.

    Imo State Governor, Mr. Rochas Okorocha, witnessed the defection of Igbokwe at the session.

    Igbokwe announced that he had since joined the APC in January when there was a leadership crisis in the PDP.

     

    Details later…

  • 2019: I hope Atiku’s defection to PDP won’t affect APC’s chances in 2019 – Buba Marwa

    …says no better candidate than Buhari

    The All Progressives Congress’ (APC) chieftain, Gen. Buba Marwa, on Tuesday, said so far, there was no better presidential candidate for the 2019 presidential election in the APC than President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Marwa, who is also a former military governor of Lagos State, made this disclosure in Yola after a meeting of stakeholders comprising 20 organisations in Adamawa.

    The meeting was organised by the Buba Marwa organisation, where the candidature of Buhari was endorsed for a re-election in 2019.

    Marwa said Buhari administration within the past two years, had recorded some achievements in the area of security, anti-corruption, improved electricity supply and diversification of the economy through agriculture and solid minerals.

    “We are happy with the measures the government is taking in the diversification of the economy, which are already paying off, especially in the agricultural and mining sectors; the improvement has manifested in the recent exit from recession”.

    On the exit of the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar from the APC, Marwa said although, the move was a big loss to the party, it would not affect the chances of APC in Adamawa and even at the national level.

    “No political party would like to lose someone like the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; we assure that his departure will, however, not affect the fortunes of the party at any level.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the former Vice President defected to the opposition, PDP, on Sunday after resigning his membership of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, last week.

  • Ekiti 2018: Oni refutes defection rumours, says ‘I didn’t meet Fayose, Makarfi’

    Former governor of Ekiti State and Deputy National Chairman (South) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) , Chief Olusegun Oni, has denied plans of possible defection to his former party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to actualise his governorship ambition.

    The APC leader also denied meeting with incumbent Governor Ayodele Fayose and national chairman of the PDP, Sen. Ahmed Makarfi.

    He also accused some people of attempting to pull him down.

    The former governor said the alleged attacks on him were only making him more popular.

    Oni, who said he was not desperate to become governor again, stressed that his fate and that of other aspirants jostling for APC’s ticket would be decided by delegates at the party’s primary in the first quarter of 2018.

    Addressing reporters at the weekend in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, Oni denied holding “secret” meetings with Governor Ayo Fayose at a hotel in Lagos on the possibility of defecting to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to realise his ambition, as alleged on various posts in the social media.

    The former governor also denied holding a meeting with PDP’s National Caretaker Committee Chairman, Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi, at his (Oni’s) home in Ifaki-Ekiti in Ido/Osi Local Government Area.

    He urged his supporters and other people in Ekiti State not to believe the rumour and hate campaign against him by those he described as “faceless individuals” on the social media.

    Oni said he would not be distracted from selling his ideas on a better Ekiti to the electorate.

    The former governor said some people petitioned the party’s national secretariat to compel him to step down immediately as Deputy National Chairman (South), adding that APC’s constitution allows him to remain in that post one month before the primary.

    He said: “The attacks are from within the party, and most of them are coming from the social media. But I am not bothered at all because whatever that will be good will be rough initially. Some people have been given the assignment to pull me down.

    “The good will triumph over the evil. I want to say categorically that I will not be discouraged. Anybody who does not want Oni will either contest against him or support an aspirant. I am not desperate to be governor. I will leave (my post) when the (party’s) constitution says I should leave.

    “By saying I met Fayose at a hotel in Lagos and Makarfi in my house in Ifaki, these people are overpricing me. I feel honoured if they continue to say that. The last one-on-one I had with Fayose was a day after Gen. Adeyinka Adebayo was buried, when I brought the invitation from the Borisade family. I congratulated him for the honour done Baba Adebayo.

    “I have never had one-on-one with Makarfi. But if they are saying he was in my home, I feel honoured. Those saying this have nothing to sell. But I have told my people not to abuse or attack anybody. If they have the product that is sellable, they should continue to sell it.”