By Salisu Sani-Idris
Barely 48 hours to the Presidential and National Assembly elections, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP) have lost scores of members to APC in the FCT.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the defectors were received into the fold of APC on Wednesday in Abuja.
Dr Hawa Iyatu-Bagu, the National Coordinator, National Mass Movement for Better Orientation (NAMMBO), a frontline Tinubu support group, said the development was an indication of APC’s victory in the Feb. 25 elections.
Iyatu-Bagu said that the organisation had been in touch with the defectors for a very long time, saying ” today those that accepted the truth have decided to follow the winning team.
She said: “We have been going round canvassing for votes and most of them here are only the leaders, because if all of them will be here, this place cannot contain them.
” So, we now ask their leaders and some of them to come here and make it public about their decision to dump PDP and LP and declare their readiness to vote for Tinubu and Shettima.
“With this development and what we have seen so far in the course of our campaigns across the nooks and crannies of Nigeria, Nigerians, especially the women are ready to vote for the duo.”
The coordinator also stated that the youths were ready to ensure the landslide victory of Tinubu, assuring the defectors of equal treatment.
According to her, the APC presidential candidate will reciprocate any gesture to be done to him with quality leadership.
Also speaking, the Deputy National Coordinator of NAMMBO, Ibrahim Umar, lauded the Tinubu support group for attracting the defectotrs into the fold of APC.
Umar, who said that the chances of Tinubu of winning the presidential election were very bright, saying that Nigerians were eager to vote for Tinubu and Shettima.
Earlier, Mr Titus Musa, former PDP Youth Leader in Gwarinpa Ward, Abuja Municipal Area Council, who led defectors said they decided to defect to APC to vote Tinubu.
He said: ”This is due to his record of excellent service in Lagos and his contributions to national development.
”We are convinced with APC manifesto titled, the Message of Hope. APC is the way to go and Tinubu has something to offer Nigeria.
“We have seen the light in Tinubu and we are ready to join hands with him to move our country to the desired level and I believe the way Tinubu transformed Lagos if given the mandate, he will do a lot for the country.
” Therefore, we decide to defect from PDP to APC together with our teeming supporters compromising youths and women.”
On her part, the former Labour Party Women leader in Gwarinpa Ward, Ms Zipporah Bitrus, said that they left LP to APC as Tinubu and Shettima were the best for the country.
” Tinubu is a person that is always concerned about the uplifting the ordinary citizens. He had mentored many Nigerians and that is why we see reasons we pitched our tent with APC.
NAN reports that the high point of the event was the presentation of the APC flags to the defectors symbolising their formal integration into the party’s larger family. (NAN)
