10,000 APC Members Defect To PDP

No fewer than 10,000 members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the Kwara North Senatorial district of the state, on Thursday, defected to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

The defectors, who attended the declaration ceremony in representative capacity due to the raging deadly coronavirus pandemic, cut across the five local government council areas of the senatorial district.

Alhaji Manzuma Abdulmalik Kawodogo, who led the group, said they defected to the umbrella party due to the intra-party conflict and crisis among the leaders and members, allegedly “caused by non-adherence to the party’s constitution.”

He said aside from the political battle for supremacy among the members which has stalled growth of the party, members have also been de-enfrachised and miserable without a sense of belonging due to unfulfilled campaign promises.

Kawodogo disclosed that the next local government council election in the state would mark the gradual extinction of the ruling APC in the state to oblivion.

“After waiting for a year, we discovered that the truth has prevailed, necessitating our movement as against compromising our principles.

“It is high time we maintained our clear noble principles towards bringing positive changes and betterment to our people,” Kawodogo declared.

In his welcome speech, state chairman of the PDP, Engr Kola Shittu, assured the defectors that they will enjoy existing privileges in the party devoid of discrimination.

Describing the development as unprecedented, he said “doors of our party are wide open just as our umbrella is big enough to house every citizen,” adding that “the PDP is determined to better their future.”

Folaranmi Aro, the spokesman of the APC in the state said “I am just coming out of a meeting now, I got the news of the decamped members at the meeting and I can’t say anything on it till I get a clear development of the issue.”