The National Chairman of the
ruling Peoples Democratic Party,
Ahmadu Mu’azu, has stated that
the party will reclaim the five
states it lost in 2013 after
governors of the states defected
to the opposition All
Progressives Congress.
Governors Rotimi Amaechi of
Rivers, Abdulfatah Ahmed of
Kwara, Murtala Nyako, of
Adamawa, Rabiu Kwankso of
Kano and Aliyu Wamakko of
Sokoto all left the PDP after
storming out of a national
convention of the party
alongside two other governors,
Sule Lamido of Jigawa and
Mu’azu Aliyu of Niger states
who remained in the PDP.
In a statement Friday by his
spokesperson, Tony Amadi, Mr.
Mu’azu said “the PDP is
determined to claim back the
states lost to carpet crossing and
win all those states that have the
potential for economic growth”.
The PDP chairman also accused
the defected governors of
abandoning the governance of
their states to concentrate on
campaigning for the opposition
APC.
He said the “desperation” by the
APC, to win the 2015 elections
has led to the stoppage of most
ongoing projects, particularly in
the five states.
“Following the day light hijack
of the five states, Adamawa is
back but the remaining four
including Zamfara State will
return to the PDP after the April
11 elections because their
governors have used up their
treasury to prop the presidential
bid of their party.”
Mr. Mu’azu said the governors left the PDP
for over a year and seven months but are
still using the PDP manifesto to try and prop
up their new allegiance to the APC.
“Unfortunately for their new party and
their desperation to become the ruling
party, they have made little or no progress,
thus leaving their states impoverished as
they concentrate on spending their state’s
meagre resources to support their party’s
presidential election bid instead of
providing dividends of democracy to the
people.
“In Sokoto state no new project has been
started or completed since Governor
Maigatakarda Wammako switched to the
APC. His Deputy Governor, Alhaji Mukhtar
Shagari who remained in the PDP has
complained severally to the National
Chairman that the people of Sokoto are
being shortchanged because of lack of active
governance in the state.
“The same goes for Rivers State, where the
MonoRail venture of the state government
has become a white elephant project while
other infrastructure projects started when
he was in the PDP has virtually been
abandoned. Ditto to various abandoned
road projects in the state capital and
beyond. Before his defection, Amaechi and
Akwa Ibom Governor Akpabio were
involved in a healthy PDP-induced
competition as some of the richest state
Chief Executives and both governors reveled
in the healthy competition,” he said.
He added that while Akwa Ibom has not
only overtaken Rivers in the provision of
democratic dividends, the quality of
governance in Akwa Ibom state has
outstripped those of Rivers State.
“If you take the stadia the two governors
built in their respective states for
comparison it is easy to find the one looking
more solid and of international quality.
While Akpabio’s Uyo Stadium is a pride to
behold, it is also of international standard.
Amaechi’s stadium hasn’t got the quality as
in most APC controlled states where the
penchant for poor quality output is well
known.
“Talk about states and infrastructure
development and you find that every PDP
state has got an airport no matter the size of
its federation account. The poorer states
like Taraba and Kebbi have managed to put
together magnificent airports. Checkout
Ahmadu Bello International Airport, Birnin
Kebbi started and finished under PDP
administrations, its sheer quality and the
new airport at Dutse in Jigawa state where
Governor Sule Lamido has wrought wonders
and you can begin to appreciate how PDP
states are fastest in development.
“Bauchi has the Tafawa Balewa Airport with
all the attributes of an international
airport. PDP states are known for their fast-
tracked development
“In comparison, APC states like Zamfara
don’t even have a helipad let alone an
airport while Yobe have none but its
neighbour, Gombe, a PDP state has an
airport,” he said
Mr. Muazu said if the PDP controlled
federal administration had folded its hands;
there would be no university in Zamfara
state until President Goodluck Jonathan
built a Federal University for the state.
He said the APC administration in Zamfara,
have no desire of building an airport not
even air strip there, making it difficult for
investment to come to the state.
“It is another ample reason why Nigerians
should remain with PDP at all levels to have
the chance of transformation in all sectors
of the 36 states’ economies,” he said.
