TheCable

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairman in Yobe state has dumped the party for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Sani Nguru announced he has joined the APC after meeting President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential villa on Thursday.

Addressing state house correspondents after the meeting, Nguru said he visited the president to demonstrate his loyalty and desire “to return home.”

He said he was once the APC chairman in the state and was also a member of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).

Nguru said anyone who was a former member of the two political parties remains the president’s loyalist.

PDP SAYS ‘WE ARE NOT AWARE’

Reacting to the development, the PDP says it is not aware any of its party chairmen has left party.

Kola Ologbondiyan, the party spokesman, told journalists the party state chairmen were in attendance at the PDP national executive committee meeting held earlier in the week.

“We are not aware that any of our party chairmen has left the party,” he said, adding: “We can assure Nigerians that we have not lost any chairman to the APC in Yobe state.”

Nguru’s defection comes weeks after Bello Tinka, director-general of the PDP campaign organisation in Gombe state, defected to the APC.

The north-east is believed to be one of the areas of interest in the election. While the PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar is from the region, Buhari is believed to have a large following there.