By Abdallah el-Kurebe
Sokoto state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has debunked the claims by the All Progressive Congress (APC) that about 4,000 of its members in Isa local government, including Alhaji Umaru Bafarawa, an uncle to Attahiru Bafarawa, have defected to the APC.
Addressing news men in house on Monday, the PDP state chairman, Ibrahim Milgoma said that the party remains one to beat. “Since the bad eggs in the PDP left, the party has been waxing stronger in Sokoto. The Party remains the party to beat,” he said.
One of those alleged to have defected to the APC, Abubakar Yusuf Dan Ali, who is also PDP’s chairmanship candidate for Isa local government alleged that the defection gathering organised by the APC was stage-managed. “The gathering was stage-managed. Look at all of us that were mentioned to have defected here. I am still in the race for the PDP chairmanship in the local government,” Yusuf told news men.
A former member of Sokoto House of Assembly, Hon. Muhammad Tsaure also said that he had no reason to defect, further alleging that “the defection story is false.”
Others that debunked the defection allegation by the APC included Garba Bara’u, PDP local government secretary; and Isa Rilwanu, former pdp chair. “It is false. Our members are intact. We remain in control of political strength of the local government,” they spoke corroborated.
It could be recalled that on Saturday, the Sokoto APC gathered to receive a number of people said to be supporters of the PDP in Isa local government.
Among the said defectors were Alhaji Umaru Bafarawa, an uncle to Alhaji Dalhatu Bafarawa and about 4,000 others.
