THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has welcomed the defection of All Progressive Congress (APC) lawmakers to its fold, saying that their action is an indication that Nigerians have abandoned the ruling party.
Briefing journalists at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja on Tuesday, the National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbodiyan, also congratulated the defectors for abandoning “the sinking ship.”
He said: I congratulate members and leaders of the PDP on the defections and abandonment of the sinking ship of the APC in the Senate.
“The situation as we have today has clearly shown to the entire world that the government of President Buhari has been abandoned by Nigerians. Nigerians now look up to the PDP to provide the leadership in 2019 that will guarantee good governance for our people.
“We thank all the Senators and we assure them of cooperation within the PDP. I wish to tell you that more members of the APC in both chambers of the National Assembly, State Assemblies and even among governors are coming to join the PDP all in the interest of good governance for the people of our country. I thank you very much.”
The PDP spokesman also alleged that Ogun State Senator, Buruji Kashamu who was expelled from the PDP on Monday, has secured an arrest warrant against the national leadership of the party.
He said: “This morning too, the Federal Government in conjunction with an expelled member of our party, Senator Buruji Kashamu started procuring a warrant of arrest on the leadership of the PDP.
“As we speak, we are aware that a warrant has been procured from a compromised judicial officer to arrest the leadership of the PDP.
“We are the custodian of our party rules and regulations and we are determined in line with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on how we run our party and the decisions we take as the leadership of the party. As such, any attempt by any unscrupulous Nigerian to seek to destroy our party would be totally resisted.”
Also, in his reaction to the defection of APC members, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has welcomed the development, saying that it is an indication that “the ruling party is a sinking ship.”
Atiku noted in a statement issued by his media office in Abuja that the decampment from the APC further explains the lack of capacity of the ruling party to hold and manage a political party, and indeed a government.
The PDP presidential aspirant called on the new entrants into the party to see their decampment as a call to duty.
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He added: “The decision of a significant number of members of both the Senate and the House of Representatives to leave the APC and decamp into the PDP clearly indicates that there is hope that the country can be rescued from the misrule of the APC government.
“I want to extol the courage of those legislators for standing up for a mission of salvaging our democracy, restoring the economy to make it work for Nigerians, creating opportunities for the teeming youth, promoting unity and security to lives and property.
“At such a time like this when the APC has brought our country to an all-time low in poor management of the economy and millions of Nigerians out of job; the daily killings of Nigerians while the police are being deployed to persecute political opponents – it is commendable that these lawmakers have chosen to be on the right side of the moment and history shall keep a noble account of their exceptional courage.”
The former Vice President congratulated the PDP for presenting itself as a suitable platform for the new entrants.
He emphasized that the choice of the PDP as a preferred destination for them is an endorsement of the kind of leadership the national chairman of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus has provided since assuming office.
Atiku further noted: “Like I said at my declaration rally in Yola barely 72 hours ago, there are more mass defections from the APC into the PDP and it is important to mention that these defections signify a vote of no confidence in the APC-led government and the 2019 election is going to be a referendum of how the APC shattered the expectations of Nigerians.”
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