By ABUBAKAR AHMED

A total of 69 former Councillors and 14 local government council secretaries have announced their defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Zamfara.

This is contained in a news release signed by Jamilu Iliyasu, the Press Secretary to the state governor and made available to newsmen shortly after the former officials announced their intention before Gov. Bello Matawalle on Tuesday.

He said the defectors, who had served as elected councillors between 2012 and 2019, moved from the APC to the PDP under the auspices of the state chapter of the Ex-councillors Forum.

The leader of the ex-councillors, Alhaji Tukur Magami, said their decision to leave their former leader and former governor of the state, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari, followed their strong belief in the leadership style of Gov. Matawalle.

He mentioned especially his fight against insecurity and his provision of good political atmosphere in all parts of the state.

He said that the present administration had proved that it was a government for all as it did not victimise or threaten the political affiliation of members of other political parties.

According to the forum’s leader, such an administration needs the coming together and support of all for it to continue to provide democratic dividends to all citizens in the state.

He assured that all their followers and supporters including their family members shared the same opinion and declaration to the Matawalle-led government and had decided to join the PDP with the prayers that they too would be carried along.

In his response, Matawalle, who expressed happiness while receiving the PDP new entrants, noted that his call would always be for all well meaning citizens in the state to join him in moving the state forward.

He said that his idea of transforming the state to a better Zamfara could easily be actualised if everyone joined him in that regard.

The governor said that the doors would remain open for all to join him in order to fashion out the best approaches to the development of the state. (NAN)

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