By Akinwale Kasali
There are indications that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, may soon lose another Governor to the ruling All Progresssives Congress, APC.
Recently, Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State dumped the PDP for the APC. Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State had earlier dumped the PDP. And now, pointers are that Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State will soon join the bandwagon.
Governor Matawalle had been nursing the intention to dump the PDP for the APC, but he has been foot- dragging because of the cold relationship between him and the immediate past Governor of the State, Abdulaziz Yari.
Though the Governor had disclosed that he was still making consultations to know the next line of action, it is obvious his heart is in the APC.
Addressing the media on Wednesday he said: “There is nobody that I told I am moving to any party. But as someone who is well-groomed in politics, I feel it is only fair to intimate my people about overtures towards me and seek their own thoughts and opinions, as I am still Consulting”, he said.
Matawalle, became the Governor of Zamfara State following the Supreme Court judgement on the internal squabble that rocked the APC primaries in 2019, and left it without candidates for any elective position. The PDP became the unexpected beneficiary of the APC’s wrangling which led to the Supreme Court disqualifying all its candidates.
No doubt, if Matawalle joins the APC, the rift between him and Yari will further escalate, as the battle for who controls the structure of Party becomes a major issue.
Weeks back, a delegation of APC governors led by the party’s caretaker committee Chairman, Governor Mai Mala Buni and the Minsiter of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami visited Matawalle at Government House, Gusau, the State Capital, where it was gathered that defection plan was finalized in a close-door meeting.
Daily Trust Newspaper had reported that barring any last minutes change, Matawalle will join APC before the end of this month, quoting one of Matawalle’s allies.
The source also disclosed that the Governor had separately met and briefed members of the State House of Assembly and those of the National Assembly from the state about his planned defection.
“I’m not sure about the date but what I can assure you is that all is set for the defection. He recently met with members of the National Assembly from the state and he has done same with members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly,” he said, pleading not to be named.
“The Governor does not want a repeat of the Cross River State scenario, whereby after the Governor decamped to APC, some of the Commissioners refused to follow him. His Excellency is going to join the ruling party”, the source said.
It would be recalled that Governor Matawalle had on Monday night dissolved the State Executive Council and sacked all his principal political appointees with immediate effect.
Not a few people think it is a prelude to his defection to enable him accommodate APC members in his new cabinet.
The Secretary to the State Government, the Chief of Staff and the Deputy Chief of Staff were also relieved of their appointments, which is a pointer of what to come next.
If Governor Matawalle finally joins the APC as postulated by political observers, he will become the third PDP Governor after Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State and Ben Ayade of Cross River State.
