THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has welcomed Sokoto state Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal back to its fold.
Similarly, it has warmly received the news of the defection of Kano State Deputy Governor, Prof. Hafizu Abubakar who it welcomed alongside all other returning and new members of the party.
A statement issued by Kola Ologbondiyan, its National Publicity Secretary, in Abuja on Wednesday, described Governor Tambuwal’s decision as courageous, patriotic and shows him as a statesman, who puts the interest of the nation above all.
In welcoming Governor Tambuwal, the PDP noted that he had continued to conduct his activities in strict adherence to democratic principles both as former Speaker of the House of Representatives and executive governor of Sokoto state.
The party, therefore, said it has no doubts that Governor will indeed contribute immensely towards the rebuilding of our dear nation on the platform of the PDP.
The PDP stated that the return of Tambuwal, Senate President Bukola Saraki, Benue state Governor Samuel Ortom, Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed and Kano State Deputy Governor, in addition to scores of federal legislators to the party, reflects the wishes and aspirations of Nigerians across board, “who are now resurging to the repositioned PDP as the only vehicle to rescue our nation from the mis-governance of the APC.”
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It added: “Indeed, the patriotic action of these leaders and their supporters has given Nigerians a renewed hope of returning our nation to the path of national cohesion, peace and economic prosperity that has eluded her in the last three years of the incompetent administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and the dysfunctional All Progressives Congress (APC).”
The PDP noted that the coming weeks will witness the influx of more APC governors, federal legislators, other elected and appointed officials at very high levels, into the repositioned PDP.
The party reassured all new and returning members of adequate
accommodation in line with the principles of internal democracy being strictly adhered to by the rebranded PDP.
Also, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has expressed delight that he had found himself again having to rejoice with another set of All Progressives Congress (APC) politicians for crossing over to the PDP in just 24 hours.
The former Vice President congratulated Governor Ahmed of Kwara state and Tambuwal of Sokoto state as they rejoin the PDP.
He also welcomed back to the fold Deputy Governor of Kano state and Nigeria’s Ambassador to South Africa, Alhaji Ahmed Ibeto.
A statement issued by his media office recalled that when in December 2017, the Atiku said that the APC had to embrace the true tenets of democracy or lose its soul, he was greeted with hostility and his warnings were scorned.
“At that time, Atiku Abubakar had warned that without justice, there could be no unity and without internal democracy, there could be no internal cohesion,” the statement noted.
The former Vice President, therefore, called on all true lovers of democracy and progress to, like Tambuwal and Ahmed, “emancipate themselves from the faux democracy practised in the APC and move over to the only party capable of entrenching genuine democracy in Nigeria and economic progress for Nigerians.”
He further called on the Federal Government to respect the decisions of those now voting with their feet and ensure that they are not persecuted by security officials and law enforcement agencies.
Atiku urged “the powers that be to note that the Peoples Democratic Party set up quite a number of these agencies to fight crime and criminality and not to fight democracy and Democrats.”
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