By Goje Ahmed
The Zamfara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Office of the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, have traded words over the reported defection of Bello Nakwada from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the APC.
In a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Yusuf Idris Gusau, the APC said Bello Nakwada, who is a younger brother to the SSG, Malam Abubakar Muhammad Nakwada, left the PDP over alleged high-handedness, unfair treatment and lack of internal democracy in the ruling party.
The APC stated that Nakwada and a former PDP chairmanship aspirant for Gusau Local Government Area, Hassan Idris Gusau, were received in Abuja by the Minister of State for Defence, Dr. Bello Mohammed Matawalle.
The party said the defectors pledged loyalty to the APC and were urged to mobilise supporters for the ongoing e-registration exercise.
However, the Office of the SSG dismissed the claim, describing it as an attempt by the opposition to gain political relevance.
In a statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the SSG, Sulaiman Ahmad Tudu, the office said the APC deliberately linked the defection to the SSG to exaggerate its significance.
The statement added that democracy guarantees freedom of association and that family ties do not determine political affiliation.
It maintained that Malam Abubakar Muhammad Nakwada remains committed to supporting Governor Dauda Lawal’s administration.
The SSG’s office also noted that some APC members were reportedly aligning with the governor, questioning why similar developments within the opposition party had not attracted attention.
