- No vacancy in Taraba in 2019, says gov’s aide
A former Minister of Labour and Productivity, Joel Ikenya, has announced his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Ikenya hails from Taraba and served in the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Speaking with journalists monday in Jalingo, the former minister said his defection was informed by the numerous achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari- led administration.
He urged Nigerians especially those from the North-east, to key into the policies and programmes of the president for the socio-economic development of the country.
“My reasons for decamping from the PDP to pitched tent with the ruling party are based on the many achievements the president have recorded within his first one year in office.
“The success he achieved in restoring peace to the troublesome North-East zone alone is something we cannot shy away from no matter our political party differences.
“Buhari’s fight against corrupt practices is also one of the major factors that motivated me to dump my former political party to the ruling APC,” Ikenya said.
The former minister pledged the “unflinching support” of his and his supporters to the president to enable him (Buhari) lead the nation to greater heights.
“My supporters and I will support Mr. President because a close look at his appointments will show you that no region benefited from his appointments like the North-east.
“I want to use this platform to call on citizens from the northeast region to put aside sentiments and support the president in reciprocity for all the good things he has done for us,” he said.
Ikenya’s defection to the APC had sparked fears that the APC was angling to capture power in the state.
But in his reaction, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Darius Ishaku, Emmanuel Bello, said the APC has no viable path to victory in Taraba State in 2019.
Bello said the APC was not on ground in the state to warrant any worry.
He said: “Our people are very politically conscious. They have seen all that APC is doing in the central government. All the suffering visited on us as a people came from APC. All the violence, the hunger in the land and the pains, these are all the handwork of APC. If we don’t pay salaries as when due, you can rest assured that it is APC at work. But even as this is the case, the government of Governor Ishaku is doing its best to address the problems caused by APC. That is why our people have associated the APC with everything negative. They don’t want to hear the name, let alone vote for it.”
Ikenya, who is a former minister, is formerly in the APC before joining PDP to get a ministerial appointment under the Jonathan administration.
