Niger deputy governor defects to APC

The net of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Monday, caught a big fish in the person of Ahmed Musa Ibeto, the deputy governor of Niger State.
With the development, the state Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is now in a state of panic, less than a month to the general elections.
Freedom Online learnt that all efforts by Governor Babangida Aliyu to pacify his deputy on Sunday night not to defect to the APC proved abortive as Ibeto insisted on leaving the party that brought them together to the Government House in 2007.
Ibeto announced his defection in his official residence, shortly before going to the Minna International Airport to receive the APC presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari.
He announced that he had defected to the APC with more than 200 PDP chieftains.
Ibeto said with his defection, there is no way PDP will win in the North-Central state.
He said: “I have left the PDP because of the injustice there and irreconcilable differences. For this defection, I owe nobody, including my former boss, any apology. You (media) are all witnesses to the charade that characterised the PDP governorship primary. We filed our objection to the primary up to the national level of the party with the hope for justice, but, up till now, nothing has been done and we feel we should go to where we can find justice and fairness.
“Over 200 people which comprises of serving and former members of National Assembly, State Assembly, former Commissioners, former local government chairmen and party leaders across the 25 local government areas of the state are today crossing with me to APC.
“We have decided to list only those who are currently holding positions at local, state and national levels. All our supporters will automatically go with us and you will see all of them at General Muhammadu Buhari’s rally today”.
Some of the members of the National Assembly who defected with Ibeto are Hon. Ibrahim Ebbo, Hon. Mohammed Cheche and Hon. Madolia.
Other defectors include Aliyu’s Special Adviser on Roads and Infrastructure, Engineer Mohammed Daban and Special Adviser on Legislative Matters, Hon. Ahmed El’Waziri.
At the rally, Buhari promised to tackle economic woes bedeviling the people of the state.
He said that the abundant natural resources of the state would be the pivotal ground to address such maladies.
“Niger State is known as the power state because of its dams that provide electricity to the country.
“These are also resources that will be used to revive the agricultural sector of the state and its neighbours. We will address transport, rural health, education as well as unemployment,” he said.
Buhari said that his administration would face headlong the three national challenges confronting the nation.
“It is the responsibility of the government to provide security for all its citizens. We will discourage corrupt practices as well as prudently manage available resources.
“Our youths cannot be left without jobs. So, industries will be created and revamped to provide jobs and encourage productivity,” he added.
The party’s flag was later presented to the governorship candidate, Alhaji Abubakar Bello.