Defection: Buhari encouraging political prostitution of PDP govs, lawmakers – HURIWA

By Christiana Ekpa

A civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has said the persistent cross carpeting of governors and lawmakers from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) into the All Progressives Congress (APC), was criminal and was damaging Nigeria’s democracy.
The rights group described the cross carpeting of political office holders across party lines as unconstitutional and unethical.
HURIWA, while calling the act as “unbridled political prostitution and lawlessness,” accused President Muhammadu Buhari of violating his oath of office by accepting governors and lawmakers from other parties into the APC.
The group stated this in a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and National Media Affairs Director, Miss Zainab Yusuf, on Monday.
HURIWA expressed worry that APC which represents Nigerians at global “fora by virtue of the fact that it is the political party that produced Buhari, is gradually turning into the rehabilitation platform for alleged Corrupt politicians who now see the APC as the refuge of sinners and crooks.”
It added: “President Muhammadu Buhari has violated his constitutional oath of office by accepting and welcoming decampees from the opposition party especially governors and legislators elected under a different political platforms especially because President Muhammadu Buhari just like the unethical cross carpeting politicians swore oath of allegiance to the Constitution which they now violate with reckless abandon.
“What exactly is our President showcasing to young people of Nigeria? Is it that it is right to breach the oath of office and the ethical codes that is binding on politicians which obliges them to remain loyal and faithful to the political vehicles they were driven to win political offices? This is political profanity at its apogee.”
Several governors on the platform of the PDP have defected to APC lately.
Over the weekend, the Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle had defected from PDP to APC.
Matawalle’s defection was made public by President Muhammadu Buhari’s Personal Assistant on New Media, Bashir Ahmad.
Other PDP chieftains who have defected to APC include, Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State and his Cross River state counterpart, Prof. Ben Ayade.
Ayade had said defected to APC due to Buhari’s sterling leadership qualities.
The Governor also said that he realised that his state needed to be in sync with the party at the centre.