By Chibuike Nwabuko
Abuja (Sundiata Post) – The former Majority Leader of the Senate and Senator representing Kebbi North Senatorial District, Senator Abdullahi Yahaya has finally opened up on why he dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Senator Yahaya said he took the decision due to evident democratic challenges and deficits in his home state, Kebbi state.
According to him, he left the All Progressives Congress (APC) because Governor of Kebbi state, Atiku Bagudu illegally decapitated the state leadership of the part.
The federal lawmaker hinted that the governor imposed unelected ward, local government and state executives of the party in Kebbi state.
Sundiata Post recalls that two senators, Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi north) and Adamu Aliero (Kebbi central) defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) recently after the party primaries.
Speaking with Sundiata Post in Abuja, Abdullahi, who also announced his resignation as the majority leader of the 9th senate said politics is local and that he has to align with his people rather than remain in his comfort zone and pretend nothing has happened.
In a letter addressed to the President of the Senate, titled: “Defection from APC to PDP and Resignation as the Majority Leader of the 9th Senate”, Abdullahi said the governor imposed unelected ward, local and state executives of the party in the state, “this matter was brought to the attention of the caretaker Committee of the Party who failed to bring the Governor to order. Efforts by all well meaning individuals including Your Excellency, Mr. President, were equally spurned.
The North-West Zone Governors’ entreaties were ignored. The defunct Abdullahi Adamu-led National Reconciliation Committee’s intervention to find amicable resolutions failed. All primarily due to the manipulative intransigence of the Governor”.
“I came to this decision after a very hard struggle with my conscience and emotions. It is either to remain on the side of my people, or to selfishly look the other way. All politics is local.
“I cannot therefore in good conscience, continue to work for the success of this administration at the centre while the people of my state, my primary constituency, continue to wallow in abject poverty and destitution under the misrule and manipulation of a despot.
“I have therefore decided to pitch my tent with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in order to join forces with my compatriots at home who are struggling against incompetence, imposition and violation of democratic norms, principles and practices”.
On the future of Kebbi state politics and the 2023 election in the state, the lawmaker was of the opinion that all elective positions would be keenly contested.
Abdullahi will now contest for the seat of Kebbi north senatorial district in 2023 under the platform of the PDP, saying the “holder of the ticket in the PDP voluntarily withdrew for me”.
