Many PDP Members Defecting To APC Because Of Saraki – Lai Mohammed

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has claimed that many members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC) because they cannot share the same party with Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki.

Mohammed was reacting to the defections that hit the APC in his home state, Kwara, after Mr Saraki and Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed dumped the ruling party for the PDP.

Speaking while appearing as a guest on the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) on Sunday, the Minister said:

“Yes, we lost some people who left with the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, like the state governor and 23 of the 24 members of House of Assembly.

“But the good news is that APC had gained massively. Many PDP members who could not stand in the same party with Saraki are defecting to APC.

“The most important thing is that the people of Kwara are very much with us and I am confident that come 2019, we will win massively in Kwara state,” he said.

Mohammed equally claimed that the reason why Nigeria is getting global attention under President Muhammadu Buhari is because the current administration is incorruptible.

“What we have witnessed recently have shown beyond doubt that Nigeria is today an investors’ destination.

“Last week we received British Prime Minister, Theresa May. During the visit, several bilateral agreements were signed.

“Friday of same week, we received German Chancellor, Angela Merkel. Several bilateral agreements were also signed

“The global leaders are coming to Nigeria because this government is providing good leadership in the areas of security and infrastructure.

“The perception globally about the government is that it is providing an incorruptible leadership, a government that you can do business with, without fear.”

“In one year alone, we climbed 24 steps in the ladder of ease of doing business.

“These are all the things they have seen that are attracting them to cone to partner and invest.

“We did not invent the Treasury Single Account (TSA), but we are the administration that is disciplined enough to ensure that all proceeds of government go into the TSA.

“This has helped a lot. Before now, funds belonging to government were in thousands of bank accounts and the result was that we were paying a lot of bank charges on the accounts .

“Under the old system, the government could not have wholistic idea of how much fund it had, which hampered planning.

“Today, every penny of government is being paid into TSA. This has helped a lot,” said the Minister on “Stepping Up”, a programme by NTA.