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ANPP not bothered
by Shinkafi’s defection—Scribe
From SUNDAY ODE,
Abuja
Zamfara State chapter of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, (ANPP) said
there is nothing wrong, if the State Governor, Alhaji Mamuda
Shinkafi decides to join the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
or any other party.
The party also said the PDP is not wrong in any way to have wooed Shinkafi
due to his performance, saying it was after all a mere invitation
which is subject to the acceptance of the governor which he is at
liberty to use if he decides to join any of the 50 registered
political parties in the country.
Secretary of the party in Zamfara State, Alhaji Musa Zubairu told
journalists in Abuja yesterday that Shinkafi’s opponents should not
panic over the governor’s invitation, because, “It is a democratic
setting which allows for such political dynamism provided it follows
the dictates and principles of representative governance.
”I wonder the hue and cry about the whole issue, yes, the governor
was elected under the ANPP platform, which as far as we are
concerned, is the most democratic party in the country. That
notwithstanding, if he decides to decamp to any party, then it means
there is a reason for doing so which is backed by the constitution
of the country,” he noted.
He said he is optimistic that Shinkafi will not do what is illegal.
“Look at what happened in the immediate past dispensation under
former President Olusegun Obasanjo in which about five governors
decamped to different parties and yet served their terms to the
end,” he said, adding that Bola Tinubu of Lagos, Joshua Dariye of
Plateau,Orji Uzor Kalu of Abia and Boni Haruna of Adamawa all
decamped to other parties as governors prior to 2003 and yet the
heavens did not fall.
Tinubu moved from the AD to the AC, Dariye left the PDP for the AC
and also Haruna, while Kalu went to his PPA. Under the present
dispensation, the governors of Sokoto and Kebbi left the ANPP for
the PDP and nothing happened. Besides most of them took the decision
without any cogent reason. So what is wrong if Shinkafi decides to
join the AC or the PPA?
”He has the right to join because his party, the ANPP is
factionalised into three camps, one belonging to Senator Ahmed Sani
Yerima, the other one to Edwin Ume-Ezeoke while General Mohammadu
Buhari (rtd) is controlling one. This development is not good for a
visionary leader like Shinkafi who is desperate to provide his
people with quality governance”.
According to Zubairu,”let me put it straight.It is not only the PDP
that has invited the governor to join its party, but also the AC,
the PPA and APGA.The representatives of these parties were all there
when the PDP made the public invitation to his excellency.People
should stop blackmailing the governor because of politics. He has
great respect for President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua who has done very
well as Katsina governor for eight years. As a good brother and
neighbour, Shinkafi is emulating the performance of Yar’Adua who is
a father of all parties in the country, going by his honesty in
initiating the idea of the government of national unity.”
The crisis in the ANPP has persisted since the Don Etiebet days as
chairman when he suddenly decamped to the PDP.Hs successor,
Ume-Ezeoke and Yerima have also divided the party by taking over the
slots allocated to the ANPP under the GNU arrangement. While Ezeoke
and the ANPP national secretary, Saidu Kumo took over the positions
of special adviser, Yerima has nominated one of his wives as
minister. |
