‘Niger PDP Not Moved by Defections’

Laleye Dipo in Minna

The Niger State Chapter of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) has said that it is not moved by the spate of defections of some of its members to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The State Chairman of PDP, Mr. Tanko Beji in a telephone interview with THISDAY, described the defections “as normal in politics.”

Recently,  some members of the party, including a former member of the House of Representatives that represented Shiroro/ Rafi Federal Constituency, Mr. Abdullahi Ricco, and some members of the party in Lapai Local Government defected to the APC. Reacting to the incidents, Beji said that “it is their right to change parties and we cannot do anything about it.”

He, however, said that the PDP in the state “is focussed” and could not be distracted from the goals it has set for itself.

“In politics people move in and move out that is a right which nobody can question,” Beji said.

Last weekend, Ricco led some of his supporters in Shiroro Local Government to the ruling APC where he praised the developmental strides of the one year old administration of Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago in the state.

He said: “We are convinced that the governor has genuine intentions for the transformation of our state with his New Niger Agenda, what he needs now is our support and prayers.”  

Receiving them into the APC’s fold, the Niger State’s Commissioner for Lands and Survey, Mr. Maurice Magaji, commended the defectors “for taking a wise decision” and assured them that they would be given equal treatments like the old members of the APC.

Magaji charged them to help take the APC’s New Niger Agenda to the grassroots.