Three Sokoto APC governorship aspirants decamp to PDP

At least three Sokoto State governorship aspirants of the All Progressives Congress have dumped the party for the Peoples Democratic Party in the state.

The aspirants who have so far defected include a member of the Federal House of Representatives, Hon Abdullahi Balarabe Salame, the former Minister for Transportation, Hon Yusuf Suleiman and renowned Sokoto-based businessman Alh Abdullahi Abubakar Gumbi.

Salame, who represents Ilella/Gwadabawa Federal Constituency, is a three-term member of the House of Representatives, having spent two terms in the state House of Assembly, where he served as the Speaker as well as acting governor of the state.

Suleiman, on Saturday, in a post on his official social media handle, said he is now a bonafide member of the party in the state and promised to work for the party’s success.

According to PUNCH, one of Gumbi’s aides confirmed that the businessman turned politician had informed the governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, of his intention to join the party and all arrangements had been concluded.

The source said there would soon be an elaborate ceremony to welcome the defector back to the party.

According to the source, many APC political leaders have shown readiness to move to the PDP and work for its success in the forthcoming general election.

The PUNCH gathered that at least five of the seven APC governorship aspirants had shown their displeasure over how the party candidate, Alhaji Ahmed Aliyu, emerged.

Recall that two aspirants, Abdullahi Balarabe Salame and Alhaji Abubakar Gada, had withdrawn from the exercise. At the same time, the trio of Honourable Yusuf Suleiman, Abdullahi Abubakar Gumbi and Honourable Faruk Malami Yabo left the venue in the middle of the exercise.

All the aspirants cited irregularities and favouritism by the state’s party leaders, alleging that they were working for the candidate supported by the former governor, Aliyu Wamakko, who eventually emerged as the candidate.