Gaidam has no plan to defect to PDP – Speaker

The Speaker of Yobe State House of Assembly, Hon. Adamu Dala-Dogo, on Tuesday denied there are plans by Governor Ibrahim Gaidam to defect to the Peoples Democratic Party.
Fielding questions from newsmen in Damaturu, Dala-Dogo said the governor had never indicated any interest in the PDP but remains firmly in the All Progressives Congress.
“He is already the APC’s consensus candidate for 2015 election,” the speaker said, adding that the decision would be ratified during the party’s primaries.
The speaker, therefore, dismissed the speculations on the governor’s defection plan, saying it was a desperate propaganda by the PDP.
There were speculations in the state that Gaidam had been offered the governorship ticket to contest on the platform of the PDP.
“Both Nigeria’s constitution and APC constitution did not bar the governor from contesting the governorship seat,” Dala-Dogo explained.
On the APC planned congresses, the speaker said the platform would be used to select the party’s candidates for national and state assemblies through consensus.
He said: “Our experience of consensus in the last ward congress has shown that it is practicable and successful.
“We will sustain this consensus throughout the party primaries to further unite the party and its followers.”
The speaker said the party had ensured that “only popular and acceptable aspirants were fielded as consensus candidates”.
He commended party supporters for the peaceful conduct of Saturday’s ward congress in the state, adding: “This is an indication of our preparedness towards a peaceful and successful general election in 2015.”