LP Dumps Guber Candidate in Kaduna for PDP

•ZLP, LP, Accord deny alliance with APC in Katsina

John Shiklam in Kaduna and Francis Sardauna in Katsina

A group known as “Forum of Concerned Labour Party (LP) Stakeholders in Kaduna State”, has asked its supporters to join forces with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Saturday’s governorship election to defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

This is as three opposition parties in Katsina State, Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Labour Party (LP) and the Accord party, have denied any alliance with the ruling APC ahead of the governorship and state House of Assembly elections in the state this weekend.

In a statement yesterday in Kaduna, the group directed its members not to waste their votes on Jonathan Asake, the LP governorship candidate, as he stands no chance of winning the election given the current political dynamics in the state.

In the statement by Ibrahim Maigari, Kaduna North senatorial district; Khamal Sadiq, Kaduna Central senatorial district and Ephraim Tagwai, Kaduna South senatorial district, the group said the decision to support Isah Ashiru, governorship candidate of the PDP, was taken at an emergency meeting held on Tuesday in Kaduna.

It said the meeting reviewed the performance of the LP during the February 25, Presidential and National Assembly elections in the state and examined the current political dynamics in the state as it concerns the governorship election and the chances of the LP candidate.

The group noted that while the LP performed impressively in Kaduna South senatorial district and parts of Kaduna Central, winning two federal constituencies, it performed dismally in Kaduna North senatorial district and parts of Kaduna central.

“After extensive deliberations, the meeting which was attended by many stakeholders from the three senatorial districts, resolved as follows: That our members should vote for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the LP cannot win the governorship election given the reality of the political situation in the state.

“That we should all join hands to kick out the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) which has deployed religion to divide the people and perpetuate itself in power. Muslims and Christians in Kaduna State, having realised the antics of the APC in the state, are anxious in chasing out the party from power and every patriotic citizen must join hands to achieve this task.

“In the past seven years, APC subjected the people of Kaduna State to excruciating pains and poverty, occasioned by demolition of shops, houses, and markets, while thousands of workers were sacked without their entitlement.

“Most of our children have had to drop out from school because of the APC’s government school fees increment. The election provides an ample opportunity for the people of Kaduna State to liberate themselves from the APC ‘government of family and friends’ and its unpopular policies.

“We appeal to our governorship candidate, Hon. Jonathan Asake, who refused to attend the meeting, to come to terms with the stark realities on the ground and join hands with the PDP to end the bad governance of the APC.”

In Katsina, the state chairman of Inter-Party Advisory Council, Ibrahim Tukur-Saude, who debunked the allegations of alliance with APC, said the three opposition parties had no alliance with the APC and its members didn’t defected to the party.

The Director-general of the state APC Campaign Council, Ahmed Dangiwa, at a press conference Tuesday, alleged that the chairmen of  ZLP, LP, Accord and other political parties in the state had defected alongside their supporters to APC.

But Saude, during a media chat, said: “We have not defected to APC and we don’t have any alliance with the party. We are still in the Zenith Labour party and 16 chairmen of other political parties in Katsina state are still in their parties.

“We are not in any alliance with the APC nor its governorship candidate. We haven’t discussed anything or entered any agreement with him (Dangiwa) and we haven’t defected to APC. We are ready for Saturday’s elections.”