Over 12, 000 members from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP), defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), in Wamba and were officially received into the party during the statewide campaign rally.
Barrister David Ayuba Dumwe, a Port Harcourt based legal practitioner who recently contested for the seat of the House of Representatives seat in the PDP, led over 10, 000 of his supporters to the APC.
On the other hand, Ahmed Baba Suleiman, an LP house of assembly candidate, led other 2000 members from his former party who left to join the APC.
Both Barrister Dumwe and Suleiman said they left their former parties because of irregularities and insincerity which saw them being shortchanged during the primary election.
They also said they were attracted to the APC because of the development strides of Governor Abdullahi Sule.
Dunwe who spoke on behalf of the decampees at the rally organised in Wamba, on Friday, said they have finally joined the APC where they will be respected and valued.
“I contested for the House of Representatives under the platform of the PDP. Somehow, the irregularities and insincerity led me to leave that party. Every party man wants to be respected and valued. You cannot continue to put in your best where they don’t see your value, you can’t continue to put in your best where actually no one see your input.
“Now, having lost the election, I consider the APC the only option and a place where we can have our resting place,” he said.
Dumwe added that, he was even mote attracted to the APC because of the antecedents of Governor Sule.
“The antecedents and all the works that he has been doing. In Wamba along, from Sisin Baki to Kwarra, you can drive with your two eyes closed. If you talk about insecurity across the state, I can assure you that Nasarawa State enjoys substantially relative peace today,” he stated.
Dumwe said the people of the area cannot continue to look out for opportunists who will be difficult to relate with.
Addressing the mammoth crowd that turned up for the rally, Nasarawa State Governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule, told the people to ask members of the opposition what development they brought to Wamba, in spite of being in power for the past 16 years.
Engineer Sule said, within the period he became Governor, the APC has brought about peace in Wamba, constructed roads, with the Wamba-Nasarawa Eggon road to serve as a bye pass.
He added that, his administration upgraded the secondary school in Wamba to a science school, one of the major science schools in the state.
The Governor dismissed insinuations by the opposition that the APC is embroiled in internal.crisis, stressing that, while the ruling party is witnessing influx of people coming to join the party, one of the opposition party experienced difficulty locating a credible person to lead its campaign.
In Nasarawa Eggon, Engineer Sule repeated his call for the people to reject the opposition for lacking in ideas.
“The opposition are confused and will remain confused because they will never catch us based on our performance. Our developmental strides are way above their capabilities that is why they have nothing to say but to talk about resources.
“Where are the resources? We are saving resources for the state so that our workers will not go hungry like before, when they have to even borrow only to pay salaries. We have cleared outstanding promotions for the past 9 years. Gratuities that have not been paid for the past 20 years, Engineer Sule has come to start paying gratuities. If this is what they call business, then we only need businessmen to handle the affairs of our state and not so-called politicians that are only desperate for power” he stated.
He pointed out that, the people cannot afford to hand over Nasarawa State, which is now being developed by the APC, to a group of desperate individuals hungry for power.
Engineer Sule took a swipe at the opposition who are saying the road leading from Akwanga to Ola hospital belongs to the federal government but failed to acknowledge that he had to facilitate the project before it was constructed.
The Governor wondered what the opposition will say after his administration completed the Alushi junction-Awayi-Wakama, which belongs to the state.
He promises to name the Nasarawa Eggon modern market, which is among several other projects undertaken by his administration, after the late Aren Eggon, Dr. Bala Angbazo.
At the palace of the Aren Akun, Alhaji Usman Galadima, Engineer Sule assured that his administration is taking steps towards installing the next Aren Eggon but that it would do everything possible towards being fair and just in the selection of the monarch.
Speaking at the rally also, co-chairman of the Engr. A. A Sule/Dr. Akabe Campaign Council, Dr. Haruna Kigbu, urged the Eggon people to vote for the APC, as that is the only way they can guarantee a place in the scheme of things.
Dr. Kigbu said the purpose of democracy is to bring about development and that Engineer Sule is bringing about development that is visible for all to see.
“I’m in APC because of the development of Nasarawa State. I’m in APC because of the development of the Eggon people. Without participating in the success of the party, the people may not be given their right of place.
“The purpose of democracy is to bring about development. Engineer Sule has delivered and we have seen it. We are assured that you will carry the people along, there is no need for us to waste our votes which will not lead to success. That is the reason the entire Eggon people will vote for the APC,” he stated.
In his welcome address, Chairman, Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Area, Hon. Danlami Odasco, assured the Governor of their total support ahead of the coming general elections.
Hon. Odasco commended Engineer Sule for fulfilling the promises he made to the people of the area while seeking to become Governor in 2019.
He particularly commended the Governor for facilitating the siting of the Nigerian mobile police training college in Edde hills in Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Area, development of educational sector, with the construction, renovation and rehabilitation of over 100 blocks of classrooms.
Also, the electrification of notable rural communities with the supply of transformers and armoured cables, payment of N5000 monthly stipend to 260 vulnerable beneficiaries, renovation of primary health care centres and prompt support to security architecture.
The council chairman equally appreciated Engineer Sule for ending the dreaded activities of kidnapping and armed robbery in the local government, ongoing construction of the Nasarawa Eggon modern market which is at about 95 percent completion, street solar light installation in Nasarawa Eggon town, as well as the areas of human capital development and job creation.
In Wamba, the Oriye Rindre, HRH Alhaji Lawan Nagogo, bestowed on Engineer Sule the title of the Dokajin Wamba.
The Governor equally commissioned a campaign office donated to him.
As part of the campaign activities, Engineer Sule flagged of free medical outreach sponsored by Dr Faisal Shuaib, Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHDA), as well as interacted with stakeholders at each of the venue of the rallies.
