Mass defection to PDP looms, say minority leaders

Gbenga Daniel formally enters party chairmanship race

A mass defection to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) across the country may take place soon. The minority leaders of state houses of assembly of the PDP dropped the hint yesterday.

They made the disclosure after a closed-door meeting in the office of Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu. Other members of the PDP in the National Assembly also attended the meeting.

According to the minority leaders, the defection would come from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

In a statement, the leaders said: “A teeming number of stalwarts of the other political parties from the APC and APGA are on their way to the PDP.

“These are the minority leaders of the PDP in the different state houses of assembly, in Abuja to interact with the Deputy Senate President Ekweremadu and the minority leadership of the Senate.

“We have reviewed the state of the party and re-evaluated the situation state by state and have found out that the party is stronger than it was.”

The Senate Minority Leader, Godswill Akpabio, added that the caucus also discussed strong guidelines for the forthcoming national convention to ensure a free and fair electoral process.

“It is very reassuring that indeed, Nigerians have a shoulder they can cry on and that is the PDP,” Akpabio said. The Minority Leader of the Imo State House of Assembly, Ken Agbim, promised that the PDP caucus would mobilise the grassroots to give the party victory in 2019.

Meanwhile, former Governor of Ogun State, Gbenga Daniel, yesterday declared his interest to contest for the national chairmanship position of the PDP. He urged President Muhammadu Buhari to take measures to facilitate the country’s unity.

According to him, the President should complement the war against corruption with another war against disunity.