Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) may soon be thrown into another turmoil as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) wedbesday claimed that it is concluding discussions with six state governors and 27 members of the National Assembly elected on the platform of APC ahead of their defection to the party.
The opposition party revealed that discussions on control of party structures in the affected states and senatorial zones had also reached advanced stage and would be completed in a couple of weeks after which the governors and lawmakers would announce their defection to the PDP.
The National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, made this known in a statement yesterday in Abuja.
He stressed that in line with decisions reached at the discussions, the members of the National Assembly defecting to the PDP would cross-carpet at the reconvening of session in the two chambers, which will increase the PDP’s numbers in both chambers.
He said, “PDP has already concluded discussions with six APC governors and 27 APC members in the National Assembly, who have also drawn their consultations and secured the mandates of their constituents to move to the PDP ahead of the 2019 general election.
“The party assures that all grey areas of the agreement, including issues of waivers and accommodation for participation in primaries, are being smoothened out by the former governor Liyel Imoke-led PDP Contact and Integration Committee, which has been galvanizing our alliances among stakeholders across other parties, including those from the APC.
“These interests and movements from the APC to the PDP are indicators of the consensus by Nigerians to rally on the platform of the PDP to end the economic hardship, bloodletting, violence and infrastructural decay that have become the hallmark of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC administration, and return our nation to the path of unity, national cohesion and economic prosperity, which the PDP is known for.”
The party expressed its readiness to take back power at the center, as well as in its traditional states of Plateau, Niger, Adamawa, Kano, Bauchi, Nasarawa, Kebbi, Kaduna, Katsina, Kogi, Jigawa, Zamfara, Imo, Edo as well as South-west states of Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ondo and Lagos.
“The PDP, therefore, charges all members and supporters to remain steadfast and wary of the gimmicks of the deflated APC, which has resorted to sponsoring spurious publications filled with deceptions, fabrications and lies against our party,” he said.
He also commends the spirit of tolerance, dialogue, accommodation and oneness of purpose that pervade the alliance among members.
