Gov. Babangida Aliyu of Niger on Wednesday said that he led the G-7 governors in an effort to improve the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and not to leave the party.
Aliyu said this in Minna when he received members of the state executive committee of the PDP, who came on a solidarity visit.
“When I was calling for meetings of the G-7 governors, I told them that the issue was not to leave the party but to improve it. You don’t look for improvement and run away,’’ he said.
Aliyu said that if the governors’ movement was about his personal ambition he would have opted to leave the PDP, adding: “It is not about me but about the people.’’
The governor decried a situation where a governor left the party without the active support of his deputy and the party’s leadership in the state.
Mamud Enagi, the state PDP Chairman, said that the party had passed a vote of confidence on Aliyu over his role in the G-7 governors’ agitation and for not defecting with others to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“In our last meeting of the state PDP Working Committee, we passed a vote of full confidence on our state governor, Dr Babangida Aliyu, for the way he is running the state.
“We are here to show the people of the state and other Nigerians that the decisions you took during the G-7 governors’ struggle had the full support of the PDP in Niger State.
“You made consultations with us before going for the meetings; all the decisions you took there were based on the wishes of the PDP members in Niger State. And that was why all of us were happy when you openly declared that you are still in the PDP,’’ he said.
Enagi said that PDP members in Niger would continue to be faithful party members, while collaborating with Aliyu in efforts to make the state better.
“That is why we are here for this solidarity visit; the purpose of our visit is to further reaffirm that we are solidly behind you,’’ he added.