2019 poll: ‘Buhari will enjoy support of defectors’

A chieftain of the All progressive Congress (APC), Nze Chidi Duru has assured that President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election bid would not be affected by the recent gale of defection from the party.

Speaking to reporters in Abuja on Wednesday, Chief Duru also offered the panacea to the penchant by politicians to move from one party to the other to score political goals.

Duru, seeking to return to the House of Representatives to represent Aguata Federal constituency of Anambra state in the 2019 poll, remarked that those who defected to other parties should not be blamed in view of the crises that trailed the recently held primaries of the party across the country.

Expressing fear that the defectors might pitch tent with opposition candidates, he said President Buhari can be rest assured that his re-election chances would not be affected at the poll.

According to him: “My worry is to the extent those who have moved APC to different parties whatsoever is the fact that they are committed to president Buhari as the president of Nigeria. And also even when they will support other candidates in the state election those candidates are APC members.

Duru who served as a two term member of the lower legislative chamberof the national assembly believed that the unwieldy numbers of registered political parties was responsible for the gale of defection among politicians in the country.

He insisted that a two party system is required to strengthen democracy in the country.

“I think it is the political behaviour and I believe that like we did propose in a meeting held in 1999. Our agenda was to shrink the political space. At least not more than two political parties,

but for reasons that suited the authority after we left they allow the possibility of 2-4 political parties. And after that you now have different political environment where anybody can conjure a political party and then registered and people will start moving from party A to party B.

“I also think that if we had kept faith with the two party systems that we propose will happen that the electorate will begin to notice that the movement across parties is not in the interest of the electorate.

It is basically selfish interest that drives one politician to the other party. Once the electorate becomes aware they can choose to punish those itinerant politicians or political party as the case maybe. Having said that what you now have in the state you mention is people simply taking advantage of the system”.

Duru who assured that he would not relent in his effort to attract developmental project to his constituency said he would be preoccupied with the task of ensuring the passage of the Antitrust Bill if elected at the poll.

“As you know, i have been in the private sector. I will continue to support policies and legislation that will enhance governance and businesses. It is only the private sector that reduces the amount way and manner that people live and the way they conduct their businesses.

“You will remember in 2003, the Bill passed through the third reading in the House of Representatives but didn’t make it in the senate. That was why it was not passed.

In the second attempt, it was not passed in the National Assembly. Since then every effort to encourage a friend or a colleague who have been re-elected into the National Assembly to Champion the bill didn’t work. I will revive it ice again because it would serve the interest of the country”.