In a significant boost to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Niger State, no fewer than 120 supporters of the opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) have made the bold move to join the ruling party.
According to report from DailyPost, The defectors, comprising mostly youths and women, were received at the APC ward secretariat in Gulu Vatsa by none other than Mr. Jonathan Vatsa, a stalwart of the APC and former Commissioner for Information, Culture, and Tourism in the state.
The decision to defect was prompted by the impressive performance of Governor Mohammed Umar Bago over the past year, according to the defectors.
They praised the governor for his efforts in addressing the security challenges that had plagued their area and for bringing peace back to Gulu Vatsa after years of banditry and other criminal activities.
Ibrahim Liman, who spoke on behalf of the defectors, emphasized that their decision to join the APC was not motivated by personal gain, but rather by their satisfaction with the governor's performance and his commitment to building bridges across party lines. "We are happy with the relationship that our former commissioner has maintained with everyone in our community, regardless of our political differences," he said.
The defectors vowed to work tirelessly to bring more people into the APC, with the goal of making it the dominant party in their community. "We want to ensure that there is no opposition here," Liman said. "This will attract more development to our community."
In response, Mr. Vatsa assured the new members that they would not regret their decision to join the APC. He highlighted Governor Bago's "New Niger Agenda" as a genuine effort to transform the state at all levels, and urged other political parties to rally behind him as their sole candidate for the 2027 governorship election.
The defection is seen as a significant boost for the APC in Niger State, which has been working hard to consolidate its position ahead of future elections. It also underscores the growing popularity of Governor Bago's administration and its commitment to delivering on its campaign promises.