As Lamido explains meeting with Amaechi
The former Acting Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje yesterday disclosed that five more governors of the ruling party and their structures are joining APC ahead of 2015 general elections.
Baraje did not however give details of the governors that are crossing over to the opposition. But some PDP governors in the North and South South are said to be neck deep into the APC but are waiting for the right time to make the strategic switch to avoid being witchunted.
Baraje who stated this while speaking with journalists in Ilorin to mark his 64th birthday also alleged that Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was behind the proposal for an interim government if General Muhammadu Buhari won the Presidential election.
Baraje said the ruling party has been planning many tricks including the postponement of the election, stressing that the APC will join Nigerians to reject such undemocratic action by the ruling party.
He noted that it was honesty of purpose that keeps APC growing and accepted by the masses in Nigeria, stressing that Nigerians are tired of deceit, manufacture of economy figures, unfulfilled promises by the President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.
The APC chieftain, who commended INEC over the extension of collection of Permanent Voters Card (PVCs), said the electoral body has been insisting on the election date, stressing that the APC members stand firmly with the electoral body’s position.
He added that his party is strongly against the usage of Temporary Voter Cards (TVCs) adding that it was a gateway to election manipulation by the unpopular party.
Baraje who urged Nigerians to vote for APC Presidential candidate on February 14, 2015 said his party stands firm on free, air and credible elections, stressing that anything short of that would not be acceptable.
Also yesterday, the governor of Jigawa state, Alh. Sule Lamido, explained why he met with his Rivers state counterpart, Rotimi Amechi, in Dutse, the capital of the state on Sunday.
He asserted that is was not an offence for a Peoples Democratic Party member to relate or associate himself with a member of the All Progressives Congress.
Governor Lamido made the assertion yesterday on the Hausa Service of the BBC monitored in Jos while being interviewed by the station on the main reason behind a close-door meeting he had with his Rivers state counterpart.
According to the governor, his relationship with Amaechi began for a long time even before he decamped to APC, noting that Amechi was a PDP member and his relationship with him had been there not only as governors but also as Nigerians.
He said, “It is not an offence for a PDP member to relate or associate with a member of opposition party like the APC. Amechi was a PDP member and I have been in good terms with him. Amaechi being an APC member does not mean that we will not relate with each other. Recall that in the last few days when Buhari visited Jigawa, he was well received by me and that does not mean we are in the same party.”
On what actually was the discussion of the meeting, Lamido said,” he only visited me because we have a very good relationship with him and the entire people of south-south.”
Asked whether it has to do with his defection to APC, he said, “No, there was nothing of that nature in our discussion. I am not defecting to any opposition party. I am a PDP member and so I remain”
Source: People’s Daily
