The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday, expressed confidence that Zamfara State governor, Bello Matawalle, will not leave its fold to the All Progressive s Party (APC) as speculated.
Reports had claimed that Matawalle will announce his defection to the APC on June 12 as part of activities marking this year’s Democracy Day.
Recall that in April, a delegation of APC governors led by Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) and governor of Kebbi State, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, visited Matawalle at Government House, Gusau, sparking speculations that he is being lured to the party.
While the APC governors donated N50 million, the PDP governors in a counter move also visited Matawalle and donated the sum of N100 million to victims of the fire incident.
The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, therefore, said the party leadership has not given up on the governor and they are optimistic that he will not leave for the ruling party.
According to him, given the misgovernance by the ruling party since coming to power in 2015, only those who do not mean well for Nigeria will contemplate joining APC at this moment.
“We cannot give up on a governor. We are working within the confines of the power conferred on the National Working Committee (NWC) using our various organs such as the Board of Trustees (BoT), the PDP Governors’ Forum, former PDP Governors’ Forum and the PDP National Assembly Caucus.
“We will use all our organs to speak with the governor of Zamfara State, Matawalle, and make him see reasons why he should not leave the party for APC. I don’t think anybody who means well for this country will go and join APC today.
“And I am confident that the governors elected on the platform of our party means well for Nigeria and as such I don’t think Governor Matawalle for any reason will go and join the APC,” he said.
