PDP Governors Fume Over Matawalle, Ayade’s Defections, Vow to Resist One-Party System
- The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed concerns over the defection of its governors and members to the ruling party
- Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara state on Tuesday, June 29, dumped the opposition and joined the All Progressives Congress
- The PDP governors, however, alleged that the leading party is using subtle threats to lure their colleagues into its fold
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FCT, Abuja - Despite the defection of Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River state and his counterpart from Zamfara, Bello Matawalle, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum has declared that it is unshaken.
Daily Sun reports that the governors vowed on Thursday, July 1, that they would resist an alleged attempt by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to foist a one-party state on Nigerians.
Legit.ng gathered that the forum, in a statement by its director-general, CID Maduabum, claimed the APC presently constituted a threat to the country’s democracy.
The opposition governors accused the federal government and the APC of deploying threats, intimidation and underhand tactics to force opposition governors into the ruling party.
APC threatening PDP governors to join ruling party
The PDP recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari had reportedly expressed regret that Zamfara state is governed by another party other than his own, The Nation reports.
The forum noted that the statement was a clear subtle threat to the governor of the state to join him or face consequences.
PDP governors said:
“Earlier, all sorts of threats had been deployed by the APC caretaker/national convention planning committee whose only job seemed to be to just lure PDP governors and other PDP stakeholders abandoning in the process their mandate of organising a national convention.”
They also noted that if the president or the APC can spend 10% of the energy they use in wooing PDP governors and stalwarts in tackling insecurity, building infrastructure and improving the wellbeing of Nigerians, the country would have been better.
Maduabum stated:
“If Nigerians are allowed to express their political preferences through a free and fair election, APC will be roundly rejected.”
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Governor Wike rules out defection to APC
Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that there were speculations that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has opened talks with some governors elected under the PDP.
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state has, however, ruled out possible defection to the ruling party.
Governor Wike also scolded governors and other members of the PDP who have joined the country’s leading party for being fearful and intimidated by the APC.
He insisted that the APC has nothing on offer for him to move to their camp, adding that the defectors had no reason to join another party.
Source: Legit.ng