Hot SourceFrancis Sardauna in Katsina
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Katsina State on Sunday suffered a major setback as thousands of their supporters defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The PDP, APC and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) card-carrying members pitched their tent with the ADC while unveiling the opposition party as their new political movement in Katsina.
A renowned grassroots mobilizer and former Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Mustapha Inuwa; former Minister of Defence, Lawal Batagarawa, former senator representing Daura Zone, Ahmed Babba Kaita and Hon. Ahmed Aminu Yar’Adua, were among PDP stalwarts that picked the ADC membership cards.
A former Special Adviser on Girl Child Education and Child Development to former Governor Aminu Bello Masari, Amina Lawal; former Director-General of the NYC, Brigadier-General Maharazu Tsiga (rtd) and Hon. Babangida Talau of the NNPP also dumped their parties for the ADC.
They picked the ADC membership cards along with thousands of their supporters across the 34 local government areas of the state.
Speaking shortly after picking his ADC membership card, Batagarawa attributed the hardship faced by Nigerians to the economic policies of the APC-government at state and federal levels.
He described the nation’s security challenges, poverty and naira devaluation as the major consequences of the policies of the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government.
He said the policies of the Tinubu’s administration had set the Nigerian economy into a complete storm with inflation rate and the collapse of many industries across the country.
He added that the consequences of the policies of the Federal Government had prompted some political gladiators from various political parties to join ADC in order to wrest power from the ruling APC in 2027.
He said: “After the swearing-in of the government of the federation and the state governments after the 2023 general election, and seeing the consequences of the policies of the Federal Government, a number of senior political operators in Nigeria began to realize that we are in a very big trouble.
“The immediate announcement of the policies of this administration set the Nigerian economic into a complete storm, inflation rate, the naira depreciated and literally a lot of industries simply collapsed.”
In his remarks, the former Secretary to the State Government, Inuwa, urged members of the ADC to work towards the sustainability and wide acceptance of the party rather than focusing on their self-ambitions.
He said members of the ADC should go to their communities and woo more members into the party to ensure that APC does not rule beyond four years.
He reiterated that the ADC was out to reform Nigerian governance, tackle the prevailing security challenges and rising poverty faced by Nigerians, which he said, is orchestrated by the APC government.
Earlier, the state Chairman of ADC, Usman Musa-Wamba, called on residents of the state to go to their respective political wards and register as ADC members ahead of the forthcoming polls.
