by Panshak Ibrahim
In another episode of mass defection, the Deputy Governor of Niger, Alhaji Ahmed Ibeto, and over 2oo political office holders have defected from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party to the major opposition party, All Progressives Congress.
Among those who defected from PDP alongside the deputy governor are serving members of National Assembly, members of State’s House of Assembly, former commissioners and former local governments chairmen.
Ibeto announced his defection to newsmen in Minna, on Monday, January 19, saying: “I am on my way to welcome our party leader and presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, at Minna Airport for his campaign rally in Niger State.”
The deputy governor stated that his defection was in response to the injustice meted to him and other contestants in the state party primaries, an exercise which he described as flawed and stage-managed to favour anointed candidates.
Ibeto said: “The electoral process that threw up Alhaji Umar Nasko as PDP governorship candidate was not in accordance with the PDP electoral law and the constitution.”
“It is true we are defecting to APC because the primaries conducted were not in accordance wirth the PDP constitution. Myself and other aggrieved party members decided to petition the National Headquaters of the party on the outcome of the governorship primaries with a view to addressing the obvious injustice but met a brickwall.”
“We were expecting justice from the party’s national office but nothing was forthcoming, hence we decided to join the APC.”
Leave a reply