Obviously, PDP is now been threatened by the defection of Governors and lawmakers into APC. Shortly after the announced decision of the Zamfara State governor, Alhaji Bello Matawalle, to dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the party has said those defecting from its fold lack the courage to withstand pressure from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and we will surely see in court.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Governor Matawalle, alongside members of the state House of Assembly, members of the House of Representatives from the states and senators representing the three senatorial districts of the state are expected to declare for the APC today.
As announced by the Zamfara State Director-General, Media, Yusuf Idris, the Zamfara State governor will be the latest PDP renegade, as 18 APC governors, led by the party caretaker chairman and Yobe State governor, Mai Mala Buni, are xpected in Gusau today to formally receive Governor Matawalle into their fold “The governor will come along with all the national and state Assembly members as well as the PDP executive members from all levels of the state,” Idris had said.
The reception is scheduled to hold at the Trade Fair Complex, Gusau, findings reveals by the Nigerian that the city is wearing a new look ahead of the ceremony, with APC flags and billboards adorning major roads leading to the Government House as well as the venue of the event. Reacting, however, the PDP national publicity secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the party had done all that is necessary to keep their governors but regretted that those defecting lack the courage to withstand the pressure from the APC.
He said: “It is empathetic to say that every requirement to stabilise the party and make our governors to remain in the party has been done, but it takes a lot of courage, it takes a lot of valour for some governors to be able to withstand, to take a stand and speak out against the situation that the nation has been pushed to.
“Perhaps those that you can find defecting are those who lack the courage to be able to withstand the heat of the APC at this moment.”
He hinted that it will take the governor to court to retrieve its mandate. The party is basing its position on the combined reading of Section 221 of the Constitution and the pronouncement of the Supreme Court judgment in Faleke vs. the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which affirmed that the votes scored in an election belong to the political party and that the candidate nominated to contest at an election by his party acts only as the agent of his party.