The All Progressives Congress on Monday received over 20,000 members of the Peoples Democratic Party in Niger State as its governorship candidate, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, rounds off his campaign tour.
The Publicity Secretary of the state APC, Jonathan Vatsa, said in Mokwa area of the state that the party was overwhelmed with the crowd of decamped members of PDP from various wards in Niger South Senatorial District, also known as Zone A.
Vatsa disclosed further that the people of the area had complained bitterly to the APC standard bearer over the years of neglect by the PDP administrations, adding: “They were tired of 16 years of deceit.”
The publicity secretary described the popularity of APC in the area and the entire state in general as “the broom revolution”, claiming that the PDP is now a shell of itself in the zone.
Vatsa explained that while APC had carried its campaigns to the nooks and crannies of the state in view of its popularity, the PDP had stopped its campaigns at local government headquarters because the people have discovered the bulk of failed promises over the years.
Counting the gains of the APC in Zone A, Vatsa said over 5,000 people from PDP in Edati, 5,000 in Mokwa and another 3,000 in Kutigi gave the APC overwhelming reception in its tour of the area as decampees.
Accordingly, he said: “When we took stock of the PDP members trooping to join us in each local government that constitute Zone A, we realised that we got 3,000 in Lapai, 3,000 in Agaie, 4000 in Katcha, 3,700 in Bida which has been our strong hold. The remnants of PDP in Bida have now joined us.”
Vatsa distanced the APC from attacks on PDP campaign train in parts of the state, explaining that those that attacked the PDP were its aggrieved members, adding: “We preach peace wherever we go.”