Six APC governors, 30 NASS members set to join PDP

PDP National Chairman Uche Secondus

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday confirmed that it was concluding discussions with six state governors and members of the National Assembly elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of their defection to the PDP.

According to a statement issued by Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP National Publicity Secretary, in Abuja, PDP has already concluded discussions with six APC governors and 27 APC members in the National Assembly, who it said have also drawn their consultations and secured the mandates of their constituents to move to the PDP ahead of the 2019 general election.

The statement read: “there are discussions on control of party structures in the affected states and senatorial zones have also reached the advanced stage and would be completed in a couple of weeks after which the governors and lawmakers will announce their defection to the PDP.

“However, in line with decisions reached, the discussions, the members of the National Assembly decamping to the PDP will cross-carpet at the reconvening of the session in the two chambers, which will increase the PDP majority in both chambers.”

The party assured that all grey areas of the agreement, including issues of waivers and accommodation for participation in primaries, were 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.”

The PDP commended the spirit of tolerance, dialogue, accommodation and oneness of purpose that pervaded the alliance among members.

The party expressed its readiness to take back control of power at the center, as well as in our traditional states of Plateau, Niger, Adamawa, Kano, Bauchi, Nasarawa, Kebbi, Kaduna, Katsina, Kogi, Jigawa, Zamfara, Imo, Edo as well as southwest states of Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Lagos states.

The PDP, therefore, charged 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.

“Nigerians across the board for their overwhelming support and solidarity with the repositioned PDP as expressed in the unprecedented interest in our tickets for various elective positions, particularly the presidency, governorship and National Assembly positions, in addition to spirited public discourse at all levels of political engagements across our country.

“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 statement added.