10,000 APC Members Defect To PDP In Kwara

By Steve Oni, Ilorin

The internal crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) in
Kwara state took a new turn on Thursday as no fewer 10,000 members of the ruling party defected to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

The defectors are from the Kwara north senatorial district, a stronghold of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

The aggrieved former APC members had last week in a statement announced their defection plan and they made good that decision on Thursday at a brief ceremony at the PDP state secretariat in Ilorin, the state capital.

Though, those that were physically present at the event were representatives picked across the five local government areas in the Kwara north, in adherence to COVID-19 safety protocols, the leader of the group, Hon. Manzuma Kawu Dogo, claimed that “we are about 10,000 in number across the 58 wards in the district.”

Dogo said that they decided to leave the ruling APC because of crises in the party and among party leaders and members, allegedly caused by non adherence to the party’s constitution. The development, he said, did not allow both the party and members to grow as expected and envisaged.

He said party members were disenfranchised, miserable and no longer had sense of belonging due to unfulfilled campaign promises.

“Along the line, the centre cannot hold and things fall apart as a result of injustice, lack of fairness, recognition and sense of belonging to the party members,” he said, predicting that the next local government elections would mark gradual extinction of the ruling APC in the state .

“After waiting for a year, we discovered that the truth has prevailed, necessitating our movement from the ruling APC to the opposition PDP as against compromising our principle. It is high time we maintained our clear noble principle towards bringing positive changes and betterment to our people. As you can see there is nothing in the PDP to share now to anyone, therefore our defection from APC to PDP is based on conviction,” Dogo stated.

Welcoming the defectors, the PDP state chairman, Engr Kola Shittu, described the development as unprecedented, assuring the new members that they would enjoy same rights and privileges that existing party members enjoy without discrimination.

“We’re not surprised with the development due to unfulfilled promises by the present administration in the state. The doors of our party are wide open just as our umbrella is big enough to house every citizen of the state”, Shittu said, adding that the PDP is determined to better their lots.

Concurring with defectors claims of alleged non performance by the APC- led government in the state, Shittu said, “if our party had won the last gubernatorial election in the state, by now workers in the state would have started enjoying the N30,000 new minimum wage in fulfilment of our agreement with the organised labour in the state.

“We should take our future in our hands. I’ve directed party leaders across the state to open new registers and issue memberships cards to new members so that registration at ward levels is done to ensure that nobody is left behind.