Kebbi PDP congress records massive turnout

•Kano APC bigwig, supporters decamp to major opposition party
Massive turnout was recorded at the ongoing People’s Democratic Party (PDP) ward congress election in Kebbi State.

The congress, which took place across the 21 local councils of the state, was free and fair.

The election, which started about 10 a.m., showed that people have started supporting opposition parties in the state.

Briefing newsmen on the exercise, the secretary of the caretaker committee of the party, Mallam Yusfu Dingyadi, said:  “We collaborate with all security agencies in the state to ensure a hitch-free congress. We are going to win the 2019 election.  We have supporters that are willing to support our great party.

Meanwhile, the crisis in the Kano State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) may have worsened, as one of its strong pillars, Bala Ya’u Bayco, has left with hundreds of his supporters for the opposition PDP.

A former member of the House of Representatives, Bayco, who represented Kumbotso Federal Constituency between 2003 and 2007 under the defunct All People’s Party (APP) told newsmen in Kano that APC abandoned them.

He said: “After we worked for the success of the APC, all of a sudden, the party abandoned us as if we were not part of the strong team that mobilised resources for it to get to this level.”

Bayco alleged that his former party only contacted him during elections.

The APC, according to the former legislator, was not, in any way, interested in protecting the interest of members.

Allaying fears that his new party could treat him and his supporters as outsiders, Bayco noted: “For your information, about 60 per cent of those in the opposition party, PDP, are those that we were together at the defunct All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP).”

Buttressing his claim of lack of care from his former party, Bayco cited former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

“The situation is same from national down to state and local government levels. They (APC) don’t help matter for the party to be re-elected in 2019. So why should we keep on wasting our time?” he added.

Decamped with Bayco are some executive members of the party from his Kumbotso local council and neighbouring council areas.