Nigerian Politicians Who Betrayed PDP And Joined APC
The ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been losing its members repeatedly during the last several years. Governors, senators and other lawmakers have been leaving the PDP for different reasons.
Legit.ng prepared a list of politicians who dumped the PDP to join the opposition for a better cause:
- Olusegun Obasajo
Although Nigeria’s former president didn't join the APC after he publicly tore his PDP membership card, he has, for sure, humiliated the party in front of the whole country. On his Tweeter account, Obasanjo said that his first preoccupation is what is best for Nigeria. "Nigeria first, party second and any other thing third," he added.
- Atiku Abubakar
A former Vice President of Nigeria announced his decision to leave the PDP on 2 February 2014. In an interview with the BBC’s Newsday programme, Atiku Abubakar said he didn’t join the APC to run for the president in 2015. He also said he would never come back to the PDP.
- Mohammed Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso
Governor of Kano was among the Five PDP governors that defected to the opposition party APC on 26 November 2013, who earlier have formed a PDP splinter group known as the G-7. In October 2014, Kwankwaso said he didn’t regret joining the APC as the party has have power to change every aspect in Nigeria for better.
- Murtala Nyako
A former Adamawa State Governor was another governor from the G-7 who left the PDP for the APC. According to his statement made in January 2014, the defection was a patriotic move to save democracy from tyrannical grip. He wanted to pull the “country out of the woods”.
- Rotimi Amaechi
Rivers State Governor also left the PDP in November 2013. Right after his defection, Amaechi made a statement, saying that he was disappointed in the PDP’s achievements. “An unprecedented 14 years of uninterrupted civilian dispensation is a demonstration of how far we have come in our democratic journey,” he said. Explaining why he changed parties, Amaechi said that with the APC’s support Rivers State could return oil wells as well as encourage the federal government to invest money into the state.
- Abdulfatah Ahmed
Kwara State Governor was the last member of the G-7 who willingly left the PDP for APC in 2013. In August 2014, Dr. Abdulfatah Ahmed has denied allegations that he wanted to return to the PDP. According to him, “the movement of political structure in Kwara State from PDP to the APC was based on differences in principles and values that subsist to date”.
On 18 December 2013, 37 members of the House of Representatives who were formerly under the umbrella of PDP have defected to the APC. Among the defectors were the Chairman, House Committee on Publicity, Mr. Zakari Mohammed, from Kwara State and Dakuku Peterside from Rivers State.
On 29 January 2014, in a letter addressed to the Senate President, David Mark, 11 senators said they want to leave the PDP. The senators that defected are Bukola Saraki (Kwara Central), Shaba Lafiagi (Kwara North), Mohammed Ndume (Borno South), Danjuma Goje (Gombe Central), Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa West) and Magnus Abe (Rivers South East), Wilson Ake (Rivers West), Bindo Jubrilla (Adamawa North), Abdullahi Gobir (Sokoto East) and Alhassan Aisha Jummai (Taraba North).
“This action and decision is as a result of the division and factionalisation in the Peoples Democratic Party that sponsored our election into the Senate,” the letter reads.
On 31 December 2014, reportedly no fewer than 1,000 supporters of the PDP (who were mainly youths) in Owode/Onire constituency of Asa local government area of Kwara State have defected to the APC.
Source: Legit.ng
