The National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Umar Abdullahi Ganduje, stated on Friday that the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) are “declining at a rapid rate.”
Ganduje made this remark while welcoming members of the Coalition of Atiku Support Groups from 19 Northern states, who officially defected to the APC in Abuja. The Deputy Senate President, Senator Jibrin Barau, was also present at the event.
The coalition had previously supported Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the former Vice President and PDP’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, where he contested against Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
During the defection, the group surrendered their certificate of recognition to the APC National Chairman, formalizing their transition.
Addressing the new members, Ganduje claimed that even in the upcoming Anambra State governorship election, the PDP has struggled to field aspirants, forcing an extension of the screening timeline.
Ganduje asserted that opposition parties are weakening while the APC continues to attract their members.
According to DAILY POST, five representatives from each of the 19 Northern states and the Federal Capital Territory attended the event, pledging their commitment to ensuring President Tinubu’s success in the 2027 general election.
The Coordinator of the Coalition, Hon Abubakar Malami, said, “Our groups comprise various strata of society— women, youths, students, traders, academics, and farmers, representing diverse religious and ethnic backgrounds.
“In the 2023 general election build-up, we mobilised our members across the nooks and crannies of the 19 Northern States and the FCT to campaign for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.”
Earlier in his speech, Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau called their decision to join the party a wise move, especially as the nation approached the election year.
He assured them that they would enjoy the same opportunities as long-standing APC members.
He described the development as a “big catch for the APC.
Barau said: “It’s a big catch. We are making a big catch today at our party. Mr. President is a very good man.
“He’s doing his best to reposition Nigeria so it will be turned into a land of prosperity. And it’s good that you understood that and have come to acknowledge what Mr. President is doing.”
He urged them to team up with Mr President in order to succeed in his effort to change the development trajectory of the nation.
“You are joining the APC family because it’s a family that cherishes hard work. And for us, we do not discriminate.
“Whoever comes into the party today has the same privileges, the same latitude to operate like someone who has stayed for years.
“The only difference is your hard work. What have you been able to do at the party? So if you do better, if you do well, you will even be recognised more than someone who has been around since the party’s inception,” he said.#Ganduje
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