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ZAMFARA: 5 more APC Councilors dump party for PDP

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BAYELSA GUBER: PDP downplays last minute defections from the party

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Monday welcomed to its fold no fewer than five defected Councilors in Gusau Local Government Area of Zamfara State, who were all elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

This was revealed in a statement signed and issued by Yusuf Idris, the Director-General of Media, Public Enlightenment and Communication to Governor Bello Matawalle, who said that the defection took place at the governor’s private residence in Gusau.

According to Idris, the erstwhile APC members including Shehu Isa of Sabon Gari ward, Abdulhamid Sani of Ruwan Bore ward, Ibrahim Kogo of Wonaka ward, Yahaya Aliyu of Madawaki ward and Shamsu Umar representing Rijiya ward, defected due to the improved security, successes recorded in decimating banditry and spread of development projects in the state by the PDP administration under Gov. Matawalle.

“Since politics is about development and meeting the yearnings of the electorate, and that the governor is transforming the state, especially Gusau, their constituents will be happy if they identify with such noble successes,” the statement added.

“All the councilors who were presented to the governor by the state PDP Chairman, Alhaji Ibrahim Mallaha assured of their unflinching loyalty to the leadership of Gov. Matawalle so that the state will continue to move higher.

“Also speaking at the occasion, the PDP Chairman of Gusau local government, Alhaji Sanusi Sarki described the councillors’ defection as an indication of the acceptance and the confidence people have in the leadership of the PDP administration in the state as being piloted by Gov Bello Matawalle,” Yusuf said.

The development comes after the suspended chairman of Maradun Local Government in Zamfara State, Alhaji Ahmad Abubakar, has denied claims that he recently defected from APC to the PDP.

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Abubakar, who issued a statement to newsmen in Gusau on Sunday, said that he was still the chairman of Maradun and a member of the APC and did not defect to the PDP with other local government bosses.

He said that though, he had been suspended by the state House of Assembly, his legal team was still challenging their action in court. “The suspension does not strip me of my status as chairman of Maradun Local Government,” he added.

The development comes after eight local council chairmen in Zamfara State on Saturday also defected from APC to the PDP.

The Special Adviser on Media to the state Governor, Zailani Bappa, disclosed this on Saturday in a statement in Gusau, the state capital.

Bappa said the defectors include the chairman of the state’s branch of the Association of Local Government Chairmen of Nigeria (ALGON) and Chairman of Birnin-Magaji local government area, Alhaji Muhammad Umar.

Others are the ALGON vice-chairman, Alhaji Salisu Dangulbi and the association’s Secretary, Alhaji Nasiru Zarumi.

The Chairman of Anka LGA, Alhaji Ahmed Balarabe, Chairman of Kaura-Namoda LGA, Alhaji Lawal Abdullahi, chairman of Maradun LGA, Alhaji Shehu Faru, chairmen of Bungudu LGA Alhaji Abduaziz Nahuche and Alhaji Aminu Mudi completed the list of defectors.

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