Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, announced his defection from the All Progressives Congress to the Peoples Democratic Party on Wednesday.
By his action, Tambuwal has increased the number of the APC governors to leave the ruling party to three. Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State and his counterpart from Kwara, Abdulfatah Ahmed, had earlier announced their defection to the PDP.
Tambuwal, while giving reasons for his defection, said he could no longer be a part to a conspiracy against Nigeria’s cohesion which he explained that the APC-led Federal Government represents.
The governor made his position known while speaking to thousands of his supporters in Sokoto, on Wednesday.
He said he earlier left his then comfort zone as the Speaker of the House of Representatives and member of the then ruling PDP, to join others to form the APC with the hope that it would usher in a better society where peace and justice would reign.
Tambuwal however said, “Now, almost four years into what ought to be a new order as desired and elected by Nigerians, the nation is unfortunately going through the most difficult and precarious times, since the civil war; with ethno-religious and regional distrust at its highest ebb.
“This development had often been blamed on political opponents. Meanwhile, there are issues of brazen inequity and capacity and questionable distribution of appointments/projects. This is in addition to lack of statesmanship in responding to national issues, among other things that are aggravating the anomaly.
“It is because I am convinced that no nation can thrive while there is inequity and bad governance; because I am saddened by the fact that lethargy, incompetence and sustained denial of obvious leadership missteps have become the major raw materials with which the Nigerian state is being run today; because I am unwilling to be part of a frightful conspiracy against the cohesion of the Nigerian state, Nigerian youths and peoples; because I am unable to feel at ease in the face of a progressively divided nation and, above all, because I am totally unable to reconcile myself to a national leadership that offers no redeeming moral beacons that I am here with you today; to announce withdrawal of my membership of the All Progressives Congress and return to the Peoples Democratic Party.”
According to him, it is equally disappointing that the APC has been unable to manage whatever good it inherited from the previous administration but has instead taken the level of impunity to heights never before known in Nigeria.
While accusing the administration of failing to break new grounds, he said it had also turned itself into a sanctuary for the corrupt and a machine for rigging and for the rape of democracy.
He stressed that all attempts to discuss the electoral promises of the APC-led government, including the restructuring of the country as promised Nigerians and as contained in the APC manifesto, proved abortive.
Tambuwal also said the President Muhammadu Buhari administration failed the people of Sokoto State and its neighbouring Zamfara and other parts of Nigeria with its inability to protest the lives and property of its people from marauders.
He said, “Like most states of the North, and indeed the entire federation, elders and traditional institutions have come under measured disrespect.
“The recent attack in Tabinnii in Rabah LGA of Sokoto State, the routine invasion of Zamfara State by bandits, the now-regular killing of policemen by unknown gunmen all over the country, the regular massacre of innocent people in the North-East and many similar daily incidents, do not attract much attention any more.
“Good governance, viz-a-viz economic wellbeing of our people, remains the major reason for my action of today. Information from the National Bureau of Statistics shows that over nine million jobs have been lost in the last three years, since the APC government came into office.
“While youth unemployment rate was 11.70 per cent during the fourth quarter of 2014, it rose to 33.10 per cent in third quarter of 2017 under the APC Government. The economy is not showing any real signs of improvement. Our educational and health institutions are in retreat. Poverty is on the rampage and still ravages the land. It is unacceptable that majority of those who voted for APC in 2015 should have nothing good to show for it.”
Courtesy: PUNCH
