SENATOR Aminu Tambuwal yesterday came under fire for attacking defectors to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The ruling party said it is erroneous for the former Sokoto State governor to blame PDP’s woes on another party, stressing that the main opposition party is assailed by trust deficit.
APC National Secretary Senator Ajibola Basiru said the party would continue to enlarge its coast to accommodate defectors from opposition parties.
He said although the defections are painful to the PDP, the trend would continue because the main opposition party has failed to put its house in order.
Basiru, who reacted to Tambuwal’s remarks about the gale of defections pointed out that the former Sokoto State governor lacked a basic understanding of factors underlying the defections.
He said APC is waxing stronger because Nigerians believe in the fruits of Tinubu’s government’s bold reforms across sectors, adding that the Renewed Hope Agenda is being successfully implemented across the critical sectors.
Also, the National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, said the defectors are fascinated by the achievements of the Tinubu administration.
He said in a statement in Abuja that chieftains who dumped PDP and others parties for APC merely exercised their freedom of association and assembly.
Many chieftains of the PDP, Labour Party and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) have defected to the APC in many states, including Kano, Kaduna, Enugu, Osun, Ebonyi, Delta and Katsina states.
In Kano, many opposition figures had defected to the APC, following aggressive mobilization.
At the weekend, thousands of opposition members who left their platforms for the ruling party were received in Kaduna by Governor Uba Sani.
Party insiders said PDP has been rattled by these defections, particularly the defection of notable federal lawmakers and other big wigs.
Tambuwal told reporters at the weekend that politicians who have conscience cannot defect to the ruling party.
The former House of Representatives Speaker spoke in Kaduna after the Northwest PDP National Executive Council (NEC) meeting.
He said the current economic situation in the country ought to make the membership of the APC unattractive, adding that politicians defecting from the PDP to the APC are “driven by stomach infrastructure.”
Tambuwal said: “People leave parties for certain reasons or for different reasons, but what I have been observing is that defections are not based on the interest of the people but based on stomach infrastructure.
“If you are talking about defecting in the interest of the people, I believe no one can go to the APC. If you are a politician with a conscience, with the current policies being driven by the government of the APC….
“The current economic doldrum caused by APC has driven Nigerians into hardship across the country, and with the dismal performance of the Tinubu administration, there is nothing attractive outside stomach infrastructure.”
However, Basiru, who described Tambuwal as an unserious politician, said it is curious that the former governor does not understand the motivation for dumping PDP by its big wigs.
He said Tambuwal is an inconsistent politician, adding that from his trajectory of politics, he has not shown a modicum of principle in politics.
Basiru added: “He has not shown, from his history of politics, that he is a politician of conscience. So, he is not capable of making any comment that any serious politician will take serious.
“The truth is that today, the party that is sought after by Nigerians is APC. It appears that Tambuwal and his co- travellers are in severe pain because they cannot understand how they have lost large number of followers in Kano, Enugu, Ebonyi, Delta, Osun.
“Any politician worth his salt will not want to associate with PDP that cannot settle its crisis in a peaceful and acceptable manner.”
Basiru pointed out that PDP is enmeshed in “acrimonious crises,” adding that the party cannot be a signpost for peace and development.