No fewer than 10 State Governors have concluded plans to dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for All Progressives Congress (APC) to actualize their political dream ahead of 2023 general elections.
The plan by the governor to dump their party for APC after assuming office in 2019 on the party platform of PDP was said to be their dissatisfaction of the governors with major opposition party in the country.
Confirming the planned move, Kogi state Governor, Yahya Bello, disclosed this during an interview on a popular television show on Friday, stating that the crisis within APC has ended with dissolution of the NWC.
According to him, I can tell you that there are 10 state governors that have signified their intention to leave the PDP and I can assure you that this will happen in the next few weeks.
Although he did not list the names of the PDP governors but was certain and stressed that they have signified their intention to leave PDP after they evaluated APC and recognize the importance of the party towards national development.
He noted that there was no crisis within the party and that what played out in last few weeks was disagreement between party brothers that were interested in the development of a common goal, APC.
“There is no crisis in APC what happened few weeks back was just misunderstanding between members of same political party. And when it mattered most, the leader of the party, President Muhammadu Buhari, wade in and the issue was resolved.
“I want to assure you that after this, the party will be stronger and will move on after that to a greater height. Some people may refer to it as crisis but for me, it is just a misunderstanding between brothers. And the storm is over and after storm come peace”, Bello added.
On the fate of the ex-chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole, the governor stated that he has the right to contest for the chairmanship seat whenever the caretaker committee led by Yobe state governor, Mai Mala Buni, decides to organise a national convention for APC.
“The former chairman has done his best for the party and he is no longer the chairman of APC but that has not diminish our respect for him because he is one of the founding father of this great party. The man, Oshiomhole, that I know will not quit the party and has a lot to contribute to the development of APC. Due to his status and his doggedness, we gave him the mandate to lead the party and has done well.
“Under his leadership, the party can boast of been the ruling party, presently controls the National Assembly, we have majority of the governors on our platform, APC, States House of Assemblies and others, so for me, the man is a credible man and has serve APC very well”.
While clearing the air on the allegations that the crisis that unseated Oshiomhole was orchestrated by the governor, Bello emphasised that none of the governors wished that the immediate past chairman leave on the circumstances that led to his removal.
“Oshiomhole did not offend any governor. He was our colleague at APC National Executive Council (NEC). The former chairman came to serve the party and has served the party well. So the claim that some governors were responsible for the disagreement within APC was not true. The governors are major financiers and image of the party and we are the one that project the interest of the party. And we cannot demolish the party that we build”.
