You can defect, PDP dares rebel govs

National Chairman, PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur

The Peoples Democratic Party on Thursday said it would not compel any of its members to remain within its fold.

It said while it would prefer to dialogue with the aggrieved members to resolve any outstanding issues, it recognised that there was no compulsion in political party membership.

The party was reacting to a threat by some of the governors to defect to the opposition All Progressives Congress if the crisis within the party persisted.

National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, told our correspondent over the telephone that the party was a democratic institution made up of individuals who chose to be members on their own free will.

He said, “We want them to remain in the party. We will want to work with them and resolve our issues; but we are in a democracy and in a democracy membership of a party is a choice freely made.”

Metuh however declined further comments when asked to speak on the state of the peace process which was suspended on October 7, 2013.

Adamawa State Governor Murtala Nyako had on Wednesday hinted that he and his six other aggrieved colleagues might defect to the rival APC unless the Tukur-led executive of the party changed its ways.

He told a delegation of APC stalwarts who paid him a courtesy visit in his residence that he admired the party’s structure and the focus of governors under its platform.

Nyako was quoted by his Director of Press, Ahmad Sajo, as saying he abhorred the injustice and impunity that were going on in the PDP.

The governor said, “These are the reasons (injustice and impunity) why we may have to dump the PDP, if they will not change their ways.

“We may definitely be pushed to the warm embrace of the APC because there is so much injustice in the PDP. “

The seven aggrieved governors of the PDP are: Sule Lamido (Jigawa); Rabiu Kwakwanso (Kano); Rotimi Ameachi (Rivers); Babangida Aliyu (Niger); Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara); and Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto).