Defection: Matawalle, Ayade, Others not Forced to Dump PDP, APC Replies Governors
- The notion that All Progressives Congress forced members of the PDP to defect has been dismissed by the ruling party
- John Akpanudoedehe, the interim national secretary, described the allegation as comical and laughable
- Taraba state governor, Darius Ishaku, had accused the APC of intimidating governors from the opposition into defection
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Abuja - The All Progressives Congress (APC) has denied intimidating governors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) into dumping the opposition for the ruling party.
The APC in a statement shared on its Facebook page on Friday, July 16, by its interim national secretary, John Akpanudoedehe, described the allegation as “comical, laughable and devoid of truth.”
Northern governors elected on the platform of the opposition had alleged that the ruling party had intimidated its counterparts from Cross Rivers and Zamfara state into defection.
Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba state on Wednesday, July 14, after a meeting in Abuja, said PDP governors who recently joined the APC did so because they were being intimidated persistently.
He went on to appeal that the intimidation should stop because they are not comfortable with it.
Akpanudoedehe reiterated that the defected members of the PDP did so because of President Muhammadu Buhari's multi-sectoral achievements and interventions.
Governors are leaving due to lack of internal democracy
Earlier, the APC on Wednesday, June 29, reacted to allegations that some governors from the PDP are defecting to the ruling party as a plot to rig the 2023 elections.
APC in a statement by its interim national secretary, John Akpanudoedehe claimed the deserting members from the PDP are joining the party due to the opposition's lack of democracy and fairness of assessment.
PDP national chairman, Uche Secondus, had accused the ruling party of recruiting governors from the PDP to rig the forthcoming elections.
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Your people will respect you more for moving to APC
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday, July 12, handed the flags of the APC to the two governors who recently left the PDP for the ruling party.
According to a statement posted on Buhari's official Facebook page, the president said this was one of the happiest times for the members of the party.
The Nigerian leader also congratulated Ben Ayade of Cross River and Matawalle of Zamfara for leaving their constituencies for the APC.
Source: Legit.ng