PDP massive losses, APC massive gains

Executive Council members in the northeastern Nigerian state of Adamawa today formally dumped the Peoples Democratic Party, to team up with the All Progressives Congress.

The defectors comprised Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Commissioners and Special Advisers.

Speaking after a meeting on Wednesday at the Government House in Yola, the Secretary to the Government, Mr Kobis Thimnu, who spoke on behalf of the state executive council members, said their decision to join the state governor to APC was a collective one.

“We, today, unanimously decided to follow Governor Nyako to APC for good”, Thimnu said.

He said that members of the executive council had confidence in the governor and his ability to deliver as evident in his transformation programmes in the state.

“We shall mobilise for APC across the state. In fact, we have established offices in all the 226 wards in the state to ensure the proper entrenchment of the party in Adamawa”, Thimnu said.

Responding, Gov Murtala Nyako, thanked them for the decision to join him saying that APC represented justice and fairness.

Also today, 37 out of the 208 PDP members in the House of Representatives on Wednesday defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The defection was contained in a letter read by the Speaker, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, on the floor of the House.

With the addition of the defected members, the APC now has 187 members in the lower chamber. PDP has 171.

The defecting members in their letter, cited factionalization and division in the ruling PDP as reason for their action.

They said that their action was in line with the provisions of Section 68 (1g) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

Observers said more defections are expected in the House, in the next few weeks.

Five governors elected under the PDP platform had earlier defected to the APC.

They are, Aliyu Wamako of Sokoto, Musa Kwankwanso of Kano, Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara, Murtala Nyako of Adamawa, and Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers.

.Updated 00.25 a.m on Thursday 19 December