BY CHAMBERLAIN ODEY, JOS – The political and cultural-like festival in the mining enclave of Kampani Zurak, Bashar District of Wase Local government area over the weekend has given the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) a new lease of life in the area.
At the event, about 2400 persons formally dumped the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Plateau State for PDP on grounds of injustice, lack of focus, and insincerity on the part of its leadership.
An elated PDP Chairman in Kampani ward, Tijjani Isa, who welcomed the APC deserters, said it will be a worthwhile experience to work with the group’s leader as an invaluable political asset to PDP.
He said with the development, all men and women of goodwill must join forces to work for PDP’s success come 2019 elections.
Also welcoming the defectors, PDP Chapter Chairman in Wase, Nasiru Abba expressed delight at the development and noted its potential electoral benefits for the party in the forthcoming general elections.
Abba urged them to feel at home and reassured as everyone would be fully integrated, working together to restore PDP to power in all the local government areas and the State in generally.
Speaking on behalf the APC defectors, the group’s leader, Salisu Jarman Kampani, issued his PDP membership card at the occasion, publicly burnt a broom in symbolic denouncement of APC.
He cited the inability to fulfill its campaign promises; deception; lack of clear direction; gross incompetence; social injustices; inability to curb incessant killings; and selective fight against corruption as the dominant vices that have destroyed the APC as a party.
Kampani regretted that the APC government has brought unprecedented crises to all aspects of national life, noting that the hardship Nigerians are grappling with under President Buhari’s government is unrivaled in the nation’s history.
He said many lives are lost daily in avoidable circumstances reasons, with the Boko Haram insurgents and all manner of criminals terrorising people across the country while the government watches helplessly at the situation.
Kampani challenged Nigerians to realize that the APC does not mean well for the country and should therefore be voted out of power in the next general elections.
“We are joining you to change the deceptive change from the ward to the national level, starting with the local government elections in
Plateau state”, Kampani said.
Another speaker, former chairman of Wase local government council and former Plateau state Information Commissioner, Mohammed Abubakar Badu, was full of delight, describing the moment as one of great fulfillment and deliverance for the people.
The PDP chieftain said the party is determined to wipe away the pains of diseases and suffering inflicted on the people by APC government.
In the same vein, a PDP House of Reps aspirant for Wase Federal constituency, Umar Suleiman Rabo, said the party had worked hard to develop Nigeria before unfortunate coming of APC in 2015 to reverse all the gains and democracy dividends of the past 16 years.
Rabo promised to restore development and general transformation to Wase federal constituency if given opportunity at the next elections.
