PDP Defectors May Pollute Us- Adamawa APC Leaders Cry Out

Following the victory of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari’s victory over President Goodluck Jonathan in the recent election, a massive defection of people from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) has become the order of the day in the country especially in Adamawa State.

Our correspondent who went round the city of Jimeta, the administrative and economic base of the state for views of PDP supporters on the development which has become a daily occurrence gathered that party supporters were condemning the defectors.

The former PDP national chairman, Dr Bamangar Tukur criticized the development but insisted that he will never shift his base to the APC, having worked so hard to raise up PDP to its present state, adding that there is no better home than PDP.

The one-time Governor of old Gongola State stated: “There is no way I can leave PDP; the party we worked hard to bring up, the party that gave me so much, where else do I go that will be better than PDP?” Tukur asked

He berated those defecting to APC because of the victory they got under the guise of change describing them as greedy politicians who do not want democracy in Nigeria to grow. He admitted that it was the mistakes of PDP in so many quarters that gave APC an edge over PDP. According to him, defectors as those that do not know the meaning of politics, whose ideology and principles in politics is childish that will not bring good omen to Nigerian democracy.

“I remain an opposition man patiently waiting to see the change they been talking about; all what I know is that PDP has worked, Jonathan tried his best, indeed one of the good presidents the country has ever produced; those leaving the party are politician who are narrow minded in their political thinking and bringing bad omen to our nascent democracy. Our democracy needs a faster growth to catch up with other countries which developed because of good political policies in their mindset”, he added.

Party chairman in the state who had on many occasions blamed PDP at the national level for sowing the seed of failure in the state, however accepted defeat in good faith saying it will properly grow up the tenents of democracy in the state. He assured the people of the state that PDP is intact, more organised to be a better opposition party in the state despite defection of some few party members to APC.

To him, those who defected would surely come back because there is not going to be comfort for them in APC, as PDP is an umbrella that shelters all and sundry without sentiments of whatever kind.

Another PDP loyalist and former political adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan, Ahmed Ali Gulak said he should have been the first person to defect to APC because he was the worst hit in the political game such that he sustained so many political wounds in all parts of his life. He added that despite this, he was still standing tall for PDP in spite of the political cheating and deprivation of his right. According to him, he was removed as political adviser to President Jonathan because some people thought he has a close relationship with Jonathan and as such, he might shut them out of reckoning adding that his senatorial ticket was snatched from him and given to somebody whom they know will never deliver PDP in the state.

“But bad as is it may be, I have never thought of leaving PDP even for a second, I rather remain an opposition man till thine kingdom come if that is what God wants it to be”, he said.

According to him, he eats PDP, and carries PDP wherever he goes to help in making it a strong opposition party in the country.

He cautioned the likes of Senator Jonathan Zwingina, Dr Idi Hong, the Sardaunan Michika, Abubakar Kyari to remember the good things that they got from PDP which made them what they are today, having been offered such opportunities as ministers, senators and many other position in the country and described them as ingrates who do not mean well for our democracy.

Adamu Kamela, the only PDP candidate in the Adamawa State who won in Michika/Madagali House of Representative after a very serious tussle between him and Umar Duhu of APC, warned those who defected and those thinking along that line to have a rethink because the country’s democracy is still struggling to be strong.

Kamela said it takes some time for democratic institutions and governance to develop to a high level by allowing the opposition to checkmate the activities of those in power, adding that without opposition, there will not be orderliness and serious development describing decampees as enemies of democracy and development most especially in Adamawa State.