In a major blow to the second term ambition of Sokoto Governor Aminu Tambuwal, 50,000 members of his Peoples Democratic Party have switched allegiance to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the defectors were received by Sen. Aliyu Wammako, the APC strongman and Tambuwal’s former godfather.
Among the defectors were former Special Advisers to Gov. Aminu Tambuwal, former local government Chairmen and former State House of Assembly members, as well as many other officials of PDP in the state.
Sen. Wammako, welcomed the new entrants into the Party and assured them of equal treatment with all the existing members of APC in the state.
Wammako further said that many more members of the PDP had already joined the APC and promised to unveil them soon.
He warned the Tambuwal government against intimidating the workers who have pitched their loyalty with the APC.
“No amount of intimidation would deter the people of the state from massively loving and supporting APC and all its candidates, at all levels.
“Moreover, in a matter of weeks , the APC will take over the state, while President Muhammadu Buhari, including all the party’s candidates, at all levels , would be massively voted by Nigerians,” he said.
Alhaji Ahmed Aliyu, the APC governorship candidate and Tambuwal’s former deputy said, “all the PDP members who initially went astray have now come back to the right party.”
He congratulated them for joining the APC and assured them of equal treatment. He promised to emulate Sen. Wammako’s leadership qualities, when eventually elected.
The Director -General of the State APC Campaign Council, Alhaji Yusuf Suleiman, who was a former Minister of Transport commended Wammako for providing credible and worthy leadership to the party and its members in the state.
Spokespersons of the defectors, Abubakar Dantama, former Chairman of Silame Local Government and Murtala Hassan, former state Assembly member said that they joined APC, because the party stands for justice and fairness.
They also promised to assiduously work to ensure the success of the party’s candidates, at all levels in the general elections.
