‘Why Tambuwal Yet To Announce Defection To PDP’

The past few days have apparently been hell on earth for the All Progressives Congress (APC) given the massive loss of prominent members that recently greeted the ruling party.

The defection fever first greeted the APC on Tuesday when over 48 lawmakers in the lower and upper legislative chambers of the the National Assembly dumped the ruling party, with a majority of them pitching tents with main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Twenty four hours after, the APC lost Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, to the PDP, while Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State has signaled that he may soon dump the ruling party for the PDP.

Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State had been reported earlier in the week to be planning his exit from the APC, but the prediction didn’t come though.

Vanguard however reports that Tambuwal’s delay in announcing his defection from the APC to the PDP was due to ongoing consultations he is having with some top traditional and religious leaders in the state.

The newspaper reports that the governor had been advised to put his defection announcement on hold for at least one week.

Meanwhile, PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, has said the party’s strategy for wooing former members back to its fold is by offering a level playing ground for any member to seek any elective position.

Ologbondiyan said, “What we have for our members, including old, returning and new members is equal opportunity. We have said it that nobody would be victimized just as there are no special privileges for anyone.”

He refuted claims by APC’s National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, that defectors to the opposition party were doing so only because they were promised automatic tickets and not because they bear grievances against the ruling party.

“Oshiomhole is living a lie. Nigerians cannot be fooled. Truth is that they are the ones dangling carrots to convince its disgruntled members from dumping the APC ship when it became clear that the government of President Buhari would not take Nigeria anywhere,” Ologbondiyan said.