From Ahmed Idris, Birnin Kebbi
No fewer than 18 members of the Kebbi State House of Assembly have concluded arrangements to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The aggrieved members started the move last month when the state Governor told them that none of them would return to the assembly while also deciding to impose another candidate from their constituencies as replacement.
Peoples Daily gathered that some of the affected members include, Bello Relisco, representing Birnin Kebbi central, Speaker of the House, Aminu Jega and other principal officers of the assembly.
Speaking to our reporter, a PDP stalwart, Mallam Alhaji Usman lamented over the issue, confirming that he heard the same story, advising the state government and other stakeholders in the party to do everything possible to ensure unity of the party.
“You see what I was saying, I told them they should bring anybody that is the choice of the masses and not to impose candidates on anybody for the elected positions’’ he stated.
Investigations by our reporter revealed also that in a bid to stem off the eventual defection of the lawmakers, an emergency meeting was held between the former PDP National Chairman, Dr. Bello Haliru and the aggrieved legislators at the Government House.
According to a source who doesn’t want his name on print, the meeting ended without reaching an agreement, with the lawmakers said to have resolved to go and mobilize their supporters to vote for the APC since the governor has shown them his own direction.
Never miss a moment! Get the stories shaping Nigeria, delivered straight to your phone. Follow Peoplesdaily Newspaper on WhatsApp for breaking news, exclusive reports, and the headlines everyone will be talking about, before anyone else.
