It was a bad weekend for the leading opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Adamawa, Niger and Kebbi states following the defection of many of its notable personalities ahead of 2019. The biggest shocker came from Adamawa where Barr. Ahmed Gulak, who served as Special Adviser on Political Matters to ex- President Goodluck Jonathan and other key leaders of the party left with thousands of other faithful.
Gulak’s struggle for the survival of the PDP led to the court’s removal of Prince Uche Secondus as acting PDP chairman after he took over from Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu and stayed longer than he was welcomed. In place of Secondus, Senator Ali Sheriff emerged as chairman and was later removed and replaced by Senator Ahmed Makarfi who in turn returned the party to Secondus after a convention in December.
Gulak’s defection came three days ahead of President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to Adamawa scheduled for tomorrow.
Others who left together with him included Chief Felix Tangwami, Chief Medan Teneke, Alhaji Sahabo Aliyu, Alhaji Saidu Aliyu, Chief Lazarus Gugu, Alhaji Mustafa Maigari and Alhaji Yusuf Dan-Umma, among others.
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Gulak, who addressed supporters at the event in Yola, said they left the PDP with their 42,000 supporters because of the impunity in the party.
“It is time for us to register formally as APC members. It is time to formally bury PDP in Adamawa,” he said.
In Kebbi, it was Alhaji Samaila Sambawa, who served minister in different ministries including Sports, Internal and Foreign affairs, bade PDP bye-bye alongside many of his supporters.
“You will all agree with me that relative peace, security of lives and property being witness across the country resulted from concerted efforts determination and personal committed of Mr President,” he said.
Elsewhere in Niger State, it was the National Chairman of the PDP, Chief John Oyegun, who superintended the harvest of 34,826 members of the PDP.
Among the defectors are the state Deputy Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Aminu Yusuf, former Speaker of the state Assembly, Alhaji Adamu Usman, a former Attorney General, Alhaji Abdullahi Wuse among others.
Apparently passing a message to those telling Buhari not to contest, Oyegun said, “APC needs sincere soldiers as leaders, people who are ready to join the fight, because God entrusted Buhari to us to salvage the nation and its economy,” he said.
