Niger PDP suffers major setback as campaign coordinator, 1,500 others join APC

A big blow has been dealt the Peoples Democratic Party in Niger State as one of the campaign coordinators of its governorship candidate, Alhaji Umar Nasko, has dumped the party for the All Progressives Congress.

Alhaji Akilu Ishaku Kuta, one of Nasko’s campaign coordinators, dumped the PDP on Wednesday.

Kuta said the PDP has failed to execute people-oriented projects.

Kuta, who is in charge of Shiroro Local Government Area of the state, said that he left PDP with 1,500 of his supporters to the opposition party.

Kuta, who is also a former vice chairman of the local government on the platform of PDP, announced his defection from the party during the APC governorship rally in Kuta town.

According to him: “Over the years, there has not been any development in the local governments under this administration.

“During the time of former Governor Abdulkadir Kure, local governments executed people-oriented projects, but that is not the case now.

“Local governments are not performing in this PDP administration and that is the reason why we quit the party.”

Receiving the decampees, the state leader of APC and Deputy Governor of Niger State, Alhaji Ahmed Musa Ibeto, urged the people to vote for all the candidates of the APC in the election.

Ibeto described the APC as the only party that will bring true development to the state, adding that people should vote wisely in the election and vote out the PDP government at all levels.

The Deputy governor advised the people, especially the youths, to avoid violence during and after the election, adding that they must maintain the peace even in the face of provocation.

He advised the people not to sell their Permanent Voter Cards, insisting that they should shun those wanting to influence their votes with money.

Addressing the rally, the state APC governorship candidate, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, promised to develop the state and the area in particular if voted into office.

He urged the people to vote APC into power in order to wipe out poverty and corruption, adding that his administration would fix the infrastructural decay in the state, including the bad roads.