Thousands of Yobe PDP members defect to APC

Massive defection has rocked the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Yobe as thousands of its members dumped the party for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Potiskum Local Government Area of the state.

The defectors attributed their exit to APC to months of “intractable divisions, crises and lack of direction bedevilling PDP as a party in the state.”

Leader of the defectors, Alhaji Saleh Jauro, said the PDP was divided against itself with irreconcilable differences as the two factions had threatened to field parallel candidates to contest the 2019 general elections.

An APC chieftain, Alhaji Ibrahim Bomai, who was instrumental to their defection, said the APC was willing to accommodate more people that would work for its success in Zone B and Yobe State at large.

“APC is very happy that you have now realised the truth and renounced your membership of the PDP by transferring your loyalty to the APC. I assure you that your coming is an indication and testimony to the good things Governor Gaidam has been doing to the people of Yobe State,” he said.

Receiving the defectors, the state Chairman of the APC, Alhaji Adamu Chilariye, said those who joined the ruling party would not regret leaving PDP, saying their former party had nothing to offer in the state.

Reacting to the defection, the Vice Chairman of PDP in Yobe South, Saidu Haram faulted Bomoi’s claim that he defected to APC along with 7,000 PDP members.

In a phone interview, Haram said, “We don’t know Bomoi in PDP. When he retired from the federal civil service, he went straight to join APC as their member. So, his claim of decamping from PDP to APC was nothing but a capital lie.”