Suspended Maradun LG boss denies defecting to PDP

Alhaji Ahmad Abubakar, the suspended Chairman of Maradun Local Government in Zamfara State, says he is not among the local government bosses that recently defected from the All Progressives Congress to the Peoples Democratic Party.
The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that Malam Jamilu Iliyasu, Press Secretary to Governor Bello Matawalle, had, on Friday, announced that chairmen of eight local governments had defected from the APC to the PDP.
Among the defectors was Shehu Mohammed Faru, the Vice Chairman of Maradun, who took over from Abubakar, after he was suspended by the State House of Assembly.
Others were the chairmen of Anka, Bungudu, Birnin-Magaji, Kaura Namoda, Maru, Tsafe and Zurmi.
According to Iliyasu, the council chairmen announced their defection on Friday, after meeting with Matawalle.
But Abubakar, in a statement issued to newsmen in Gusau on Sunday, said he was still the chairman of Maradun and a member of the APC.
He said: “My attention has been drawn to a press release captioned ‘Eight Local Government Council Chairmen have defected to PDP, including Maradun’.
“For the avoidance of doubt, I want to make it clear that I am still constitutionally recognised as Chairman of Maradun Local Government.
“The name mentioned – Shehu Mohammed Faru – is my Vice who defected to the PDP about five months ago.
“Though I have been suspended by the state house of assembly, my legal team is still challenging their action in court.
“The suspension does not strip me of my status as chairman of Maradun Local Government.
“I want to inform the general public to count me out of those council chairmen that defected to PDP.
“I have no plan to leave the APC.”
Reacting to the defections by the local government bosses, Alhaji Lawal Liman, APC Chairman in Zamfara State, said the party was not perturbed by the development.
“We are aware of their defection. They defected to the PDP for business and survival,” Liman told NAN.