- Safiu Kehinde
Former Kaduna state governor, Ramalan Yero and 49 former members of the opposition parties have formally joined the All Progressive Congress (APC).
The decampees were received by Kaduna state, Uba Sani an event in the state capital on Saturday.
Other notable decampees include the 2023 governorship candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Suleiman Hunkuyi and two former senators, Danjuma Laah and Shehu Sani.
According to reports, some of the decampees, such as Shehu Sani, were members of the APC before they left the party due to their disagreements with the former governor of the state, Nasir El-Rufai.
However, the state governor, in a statement issued on Saturday, assured the 50 politicians that joined the APC that they will enjoy same rights and privileges as every other party member- including founding members of the party.
‘’Someone who joins APC today and the one who has been a foundation member 10 years ago, they are of the same status. They will enjoy the same rights and privileges.” He said.
Sani told the decampees to notify their supporters of the readiness of APC to accept them into the party as their doors are still open to accept more defectors.
He claimed that the popularity and acceptability of APC is because of the its just leadership at both the state and federal levels, adding that the party has come to stay in Kaduna State, the entire north and Nigeria as a whole.
‘’In 2027 election, the electorate will vote for APC in all the elections, from top to bottom. At the top, our leader, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will be elected. At the state level, the party will be voted for at the gubernatorial, National and State Assembly elections, by the Grace of God,’’ he said.
The governor pledged that projects will be executed in all the nooks and cranny of Kaduna State, irrespective of party affiliations and ethno-religious considerations.
‘’Politics is different from governance. We will be fair to all, whether or not they voted for us, because that is the oath of office that were swore to uphold as leaders,’’ he further said.