I’ve no intention of defecting to APC - Former governor Aliyu Babangida

macfranc007 February 20, 2018 Nigeria News today & Breaking news ▷ Read Nigerian newspapers 24/7 Nnenna Ibeh

- A former governor of Niger state has denied plans to join the All Progressives Congress

- Babangida Aliyu said the Peoples Democratic Party is a strong party

- He said the party is working round the clock to right all its wrong

A former governor of Niger state, Aliyu Babangida, has debunked claims that he has intentions of defecting to the ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC).

Babangida, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday, February 19, said he would not decamp to the ruing party.

While speaking on the defection of over 34,000 politicians including Aminu Yusuf, a former deputy chairman of PDP in Niger state, Babangida said he strongly believes in his party.

“I have no intention of defecting to the APC because I believe in the PDP. I had the opportunity of decamping to the APC when I led the G-7 Governors but did not do so because of my belief in the PDP.," Babangida said.

"What we protested then was to correct some of the abnormality in PDP but not to defect to the APC. If I were a selfish politician then, I would have defected to the APC then.

Maybe I would have become a minister now,’’ he said.

Describing PDP as a strong political party, Babangida said the party lost 2015 election due to internal wrangling.

He said the PDP has started working toward correcting the wrongs at the various levels.

Babangida speaking on recent crisis between herders and farmers advised the government to establish cattle ranches where necessary and carry the stakeholders along in order to avoid misunderstanding that would result in more clashes.

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In an earlier report by NAIJ.com, about 76,845 PDP members decamped to APC in Niger and Adamawa states.

Some of the defectors said they decided to join the APC because of the successes recorded by the present administration in fighting corruption and Boko Haram menace.

Welcoming the defectors, the Niger state governor, Abubakar Sani Bello, assurred members of the party in the state that the APC will do better than it has done in 2019.

The governor said this is possible considering the experience and pedigree of the defectors received by the party.

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