Shettima, Yilwatda receive Fintiri, others into APC
• Zamfara Speaker, 12 PDP lawmakers join ruling party ahead today’s reception for Lawal Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri has received the flag of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)
• Zamfara Speaker, 12 PDP lawmakers join ruling party ahead today’s reception for Lawal
Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri has received the flag of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as the party’s State Leader.
Vice President Kashim Shetima and the APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, handed the party’s flag to the governor yesterday in Yola, the state caital, at a reception for the governor and his supporters.
In Zamfara State, the Speaker and 12 House of Assembly members have joined the APC ahead of today’s reception for Governor Dauda Lawal into the party.
The Vice President announced that Fintiri has automatically become the APC leader in the state.
The clarification came amid persisting argument about whether or not the governor would lead the party in the state, as opposed to the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu.
The NSA held the position prior to Fintiri’s defection to the APC on February 26.
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Shettima said the clarification became necessary due to what applies in his home state of Borno where, instead of him, Governor Babagana Zulum is the party’s leader and in Plateau State, where the APC National Chairman hails from but where Governor Caleb Mutfwang is the APC leader.
Shettima, who spoke on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the grand reception for Fintiri, said the ruling party and the Federal Government were proud of the governor and happy to welcome him and his supporters into the party.
“As we arrived Yola earlier today, we were welcome not only by the people but the worthy projects that you have put in place,” Shettima told Fintiri.
Prof. Yilwatda, who handed the party’s flag to Fintiri, said the APC was glad to have Fintiri, whom he described as a working governor.
The national chairman urged the governor to make the APC flag fly to a loftier height.
He handed the party’s symol, a broom, to Fintiri and urged him to sweep into the APC the remnant of the other parties in the state.
Governor Fintiri, who, as recently as Sunday, March 22 convinced former African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate, Senator Abdulazeez Nyako, back into the the APC, pledged to work hard in bringing other notable figures into the party.
The grand reception for Fintiri, which was held at the Mahmud Ribadu Square in the evening, was attended by five APC governors, led by the Progressives Governors’ Forum (PGF) Chairman Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, two deputy governors, Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, who represented Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and members of the party’s NWC; APC Vice Chairman for the Northeast, Mustapha Salihu, Adamawa State House of Assembly’s Speaker and other members of the Assembly, all of them now in APC, among other personalities.
Also, Zamfara State House of Assembly Speaker Bilyaminu Moriki, and 12 Assembly members, have defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Speaker announced the lawmakers’ defections at a plenary session yesterday in Gusau, the state capital, after presenting letters of resignation to the House.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the lawmakers’ defection followed the defection of Goveror Dauda Lawal from the PDP to the APC.
NAN also reports that the national secretariat of the APC will today officially receive Governor Lawal into the party.
The governor’s reception into the party will be performed by Vice President Kashim Shettima and the national leadership of the party, assisted by all the former governors of the state.
Among the defectors to the APC are Deputy Speaker Adamu Aliyu (Gummi II Constituency), Majority Leader Bello Mazawaje (Tsafe East Constituency), and Chief Whip Rilwanu Nagambo (Anka Constituency), among others.
Moriki said the lawmakers’ unanimous decision was informed by their desire to join Governor Lawal, who recently defected from the PDP to the APC.
“It became necessary for all of us to support Governor Dauda Lawal to bring more development to the state.
“We received full support from our constituencies before taking the decision to leave the PDP for the APC.
“Our decision is aimed at encouraging smooth collaboration between the state and the Federal Governments,” the lawmaker said.
NAN reports that with this development, the APC has taken over the Zamfara assembly, having all 24 members.
