Over 3,800 card carrying members of the All Progressives Congress have dumped the party for the People’s Democratic Party in Zamfara state on Thursday.
The decampees according to DAILY POST are former deputy governor, Alhaji Mutari Anka, former speaker of the state House of Assembly, Bature Sambo, a former commissioner, Alhaji Gurbin Bore, the former Secretary to the state Government, SSG, Alhaji Mohammed Bawa Gusau, the present vice chairman of Zurmi local Government area, Mainasara Abubakar Atiku, seven serving councillors across the state and senior special assistants who served during ex-governor AbdulAziz Yari’s tenure.
The Zamfara Governor, Hon. Bello Mohammed Matawalle, received the decampees at a grand event at the Government House in Gusau, the state capital, Thursday.
Speaking at the event, former deputy governor Anka, who led the defectors to the PDP, disclosed that most of the people who have decided to embrace PDP were originally with the party.
“We want to contribute our own quarter to the development of the state since one of our own is now piloting the affairs of the state, and our great party is able to form government in the state,” he said.
In his response, Gov. Matawalle expressed satisfaction with their decision to join the ruling party in the state, stressing that they made a wise decision by returning back to their original home.
The governor said his administration would carry everybody along, pointing out that all the political parties in the state are already well represented in his government and assuring that they would not be treated as new comers in the party but would be considered as one body.
Matawalle however warned APC members to desist from conniving with repentant armed bandits to reject the peace accord and reconciliation process initiated by his government.
“If they do not desist. I will definitely arrest and prosecute them for armed banditry,” he warned.
He insisted that nobody would be considered a sacred cow or untouchable if such a person attempts to disrupt the peace achieved by his two-and-a-half-months old government.