The defection of the only People?s Democratic Party (PDP) Senator in Nasarawa State, Muhammed Ogoshi Onawo to the African Democratic Party (ADC) appeared to have rattled PDP leaders in Nasarawa State.

The defection took place in Kini Hotels in Akwanga during the weekend when the Senator attended the ADC stakeholders meeting that produced a former deputy Governor Dr John Mike Abdul as ADC interim chairman for Nasarawa State.

But the PDP chairman in the State, Hon Adamu Bako described the ADC coalition members as noise makers who have no electoral value, saying their exit does not constitute any threat to the party.

The statement by the party?s Public Relations officer, Hamza Ibrahim on behalf of the Chairman in Lafia, noted at 70, those fronting the coalition ADC in the country especially in Nasarawa State have nothing to offer as such cannot form a stumbling block as far as elections are concern.

The statement reads: ?At the age of 70s to 80s, most of them have since exhausted their individual and collective political relevance. We therefore, challenge the media to conduct a popularity search on them from their respective polling units, wards and even LGA to attest to this well known fact

?We made bold to ask them to publish the results of their individual polling units, wards and LGAs for public scrutiny. For instance, it?s on INEC record that a former Minister in the State got just 7 votes delivered to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in the 2023 presidential election that he served as a high ranking member of his campaign.

?A former Senator couldn?t deliver both his polling unit and ward. In a district in Karu LGA, a serving minister at that time list woefully? the statement declared

Onawo, who represents Nasarawa South on the platform of the PDP defeated former Governor, Senator Umaru Tanko Al-Makura of the APC during the 2023 general elections.

Prominent PDP members in the State who defected to the ADC and attended the coalition meeting in Akwanga include former Minister of information, Senator Patricia Akwashiki; former Minister of State for Justice, Barr Musa Elayo; immediate past Minister of Environment under the late Muhammadu Buhari administration, Barr Hassan Mohammed Abdullahi.

Others who also attended the meeting are a three term former Senator representing Nasarawa South, Sulieman Adokwe; former House of Representative member AbdulKarim Ombamas; 2023 PDP Governorship aspirant, General Nuhu Angbazo (Rtd); ESV Umar Musa Galadima who was also a PDP governorship aspirant in 2023.

The PDP Senatorial candidate for Nasarawa North in 2023 Hon Nathaniel Aboki also attended the ADC coalition meeting as well as Miss Farida Umar who recently contested for the PDP national ex-officio and Mr William Alaku, the ADC chairman in the State who step aside for the emergence of the former deputy Governor Dr John Mike Abdul. (The Nation)

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