Defections: APC Is Open To Anyone From PDP – Gombe Governor

Defections: APC Is Open To Anyone From PDP – Gombe Governor

Gombe State governor, Inuwa Yahaya, has said the ruling All Progressives Congress would continue to welcome defectors from the People’s Democratic Party into its fold.

He made the declaration, on Friday, while speaking with journalists after the formal inauguration of the APC Five man Anambra Governorship Election Primary Panel by the national secretary of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Senator John Akpanudoedehe.

Zamfara State governor, Bello Mohammed Matawalle, on Tuesday, formally defected to the APC along with the three senators representing the northwest state in the National Assembly.

Before Matawalle’s defection, his Ebonyi State counterpart, Dave Umahi, had equally abandoned the PDP for the ruling party.

The Gombe State governor said those dumping the PDP and other opposition parties have since openly expressed disappointment with the lack of internal in the party.

He said: “On defection, maybe the opponent would say people leaving them are not good for them but a party that is in control necessarily has to attract people to give their support and they are coming because they realise that APC is more solid, more on the ground and really more transparent and open in terms of how it deals with everybody; the high and the low.

“That is why they’re coming so we welcome them and anybody that says no to that I think maybe we have to make a rethink because the party is about people and all politicians are invited and welcome to any party that they think belongs to the right track. That is what APC is.”

Defections: APC Is Open To Anyone From PDP – Gombe Governor

Governor Yahaya, however, faulted insinuation that the APC was planning to foist a one-party state on Nigerians. He argued that the Independent National Electoral Commission was still open to the registration of political parties.

“No! As at the last count, INEC, and mind you, the process of registration is there free for all. Anybody could go to register a party provided he meets the constitutional provisions and the regulatory requirements of INEC. There are parties and there will still be more parties. So, why one party? I think that will never arise.”

On the disaffection trailing the outcome of the party primary which produced Senator Andy Uba as its standard-bearer for the Anambra election, the Gombe State governor who revealed that his Committee has since received five petitions from aggrieved aspirants assured that his team would be fair to all.

“The outcome of our meeting is that we sat, we trashed the issue at stake which is the appeal of the primary election that held in Anambra State and we strategise and work towards getting any issue that arose out of that election in contention for discussion, dialogue and a solution.

“I think we already gotten petitions from the aspirants and we shall trash them and find the solution to all claims or observations made by the constants.
“Five petitions are with us right now and we have given time within which we shall conclude with them.”