Kwara 2023: Ex-deputy speaker, minister’s aide, others dump APC for PDP

By HAMMED SHITTU, Ilorin

Ahead of the 2023, former Deputy Speaker of Kwara State House of Assembly and a serving member of the federal board, Rt. Hon. Abubakar Shuka Baba, and other leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaima Local Government Area of the state yesterday dumped the party for Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Other APC leaders who dumped the party for PDP included the aide to Senator Gbemisola Saraki, Alhaji Aliyu Ibrahim Wure; former Chairman of the LGA, Alhaji Haliru Madugu; the former Vice Chairman of the LGA, Alhaji Usman Yusuf, and Alhaji Dantalo Yaro.

Also, many members of the APC in Womi/Ayaki ward in Moro LGA of the state have dumped the party for the PDP.

The defection of the APC chieftains to PDP might not be unconnected with the recent zoning of the PDP ticket to the Kwara North senatorial district in next elections.

Prior to their defection, the leader of the party in the state and former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, and some other leaders of the party have embarked on mobilisations drive so as to wrest power from the APC in the next general election in the state.

However, as early as 9.00 a.m., PDP supporters in the local government area trooped out en masse to the venue of the event to welcome the defectors into the PDP.

Speaking at the event at Kaima, the leader of the decamped members of the APC, Rt. Hon. Shuka Baba, said they decided to dump APC for PDP so as to work with other members of the PDP following the zoning of governorship ticket of the party to Kwara North senatorial district in the next election.

He said they would mobilise the people of the zone so as to win the election, as the people of the area have been deprived for over past years from ruling the state.

Baba said: “We have resolved that any political parties that zoned its governorship ticket in the next elections would be joined, and that is what are doing here today in Kaima.”

He, therefore, said they would join hands with the leaders of the PDP to wrest power from APC in the next elections in the state.

Receiving the defectors on behalf of the state Chairman of the PDP, Rt. Hon. Babatunde Mohammed, the four governorship aspirants of the PDP from the Kwara North senatorial district said they should see their return to PDP as home coming. (THISDAY)