BREAKING: Labour Party Governorship Candidate Defects to APC in Northern State, Endorses Tinubu

• The Labour Party has been hit with a high-profile defection in the key northern state of Kano just a few days before the 2023 general elections
• Bashir Bashir, the party's governorship candidate, reportedly defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)
• The LP candidate has also allegedly endorsed Bola Tinubu and promised to mobilise his supporters for the APC presidential candidate

Kano - The Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in Kano state, Bashir Bashir, has reportedly dumped his party for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), according to The Punch.

It was gathered that Bashir made the shocking defection on Sunday evening, February 12.

Recall that the LP governorship candidate had in January staged a boycott of the party’s presidential rally held in Kano, alongside the chairman of the Presidential Campaign Council, Mohammed Zarewa; the state coordinator of Peter Obi’s campaign, Balarabe Wakili, and a member of the presidential campaign council, Idris Dambazau.

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Why did Bashir Bashir defect to APC?

The Punch cited a source close to Bashir as confirming his defection alongside other LP leaders, to the APC on Sunday.

The source blamed their defection on the alleged exclusion of major northern stakeholders from its decision-making process, as well as the lack of clear-cut direction on the interest of northern Nigeria.

Also reporting the development, Daily Nigerian stated that Bashir had two meetings with the APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, as well as the vice presidential candidate Kashim Shettima in Lagos and Abuja and agreed on the defection terms.

It also cited a source as saying that the LP candidate had endorsed Tinubu and promised to mobilise his supporters for him.

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Kano Labour Party guber candidate meet Tinubu

Meanwhile, Daily Trust similarly reported that Bashir met with Tinubu on Sunday evening.

The newspaper cited sources as saying that the meeting was held in Abuja and discussions around defection were the main agenda.

However, Daily Trust stated that Bashir has neither officially announced his defection from LP nor stated whether he would abandon his gubernatorial ambition or not.

2023 elections: Labour Party deputy governorship candidate joins APC

In a related development, the Zamfara state chapter of the Labour Party has lost some of its members to the APC.

LP Deputy governorship candidate in Zamfara, three senatorial candidates and seven candidates for the House of Representatives have joined the APC.

The defectors were received by the chairman of Zamfara 2023 governorship campaign council Abdulaziz Yari at an organised defection ceremony at Talata-Mafara local government area.

Source: Legit.ng