Gov. Nasir Idris of Kebbi has received three House of Representatives and State Assembly candidates of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) alongside other members into the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the three candidates include Mohammed Ahmed, ADC House of Representatives candidate for Arewa/Dandi Federal Constituency, Kabiru Abdullahi for Arewa State Assembly and Muhammad Gazali for Gwandu State Assembly.
Welcoming the defectors at Government House, Birnin Kebbi, on Wednesday, Gov. Idris described their action as a very wise decision.
He said: “We are not surprised by your decision because the present administration has touched the lives of people in different ways through the execution of numerous developmental projects.”
The governor assured the people of Kebbi that they would never regret electing a teacher to the exalted seat of governor, adding that many more projects were still on the way.
Speaking on criticism from the opposition, Idris acknowledged that criticism was normal in a true democratic setting, “however, such criticism must be constructive.”
He advised opposition parties that whenever they want to criticise, they should do so with concrete facts instead of blind criticism.
The governor also admonished the opposition to avoid politicising issues of insecurity, adding that security “is the responsibility of everybody, not government alone.”
Idris promised to sustain his support to security agencies to enable them tackle the menace of insecurity head-on.
He noted that the Federal Government would soon establish military formations at flashpoints to further beef up security of lives and property across the state.
In his brief remarks, the APC Chairman in the state, Alhaji Abubakar Kana-Zuru, described the decision of the defected politicians as apt and right, saying they had made a perfect choice.
Kana-Zuru advised them to go and register with the party at their wards and polling units to become bonafide members of the ruling party.
Introducing the defectors, Dr Yusuf Tanko-Sununu, former Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs, said the defectors were impressed and attracted to APC by the sterling leadership qualities of the governor.
Bala Garba-Manga, one of the leaders of the defectors, said: “We, the ADC Legacy Group, carefully analysed Kebbi politics and came to the conclusion that we will defect from our old party, ADC, to APC.
“We want to assure His Excellency that we will work with you 100 per cent to ensure your victory in the 2027 general elections.
“We have defected to APC based on developmental achievements you have recorded; we have decided to drop our old party and embrace APC for the betterment of our people and the state.”
Hajiya Asma’u Nuhu, the Women Leader of ADC, appealed to the governor to consider increasing women’s slots in his administration to give them a sense of belonging.
She observed that women account for 70 to 75 per cent of votes cast in any election in Nigeria, lamenting that women were always left behind when it comes to sharing political positions.
