The All Progressives Congress (APC) received 10,000 defectors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) into its fold in Kano on Sunday.
Receiving the defectors, the convener of Tinubu Northwest Project 2023, Hajiya Umma-Salma Isyaka-Rabiu, said the purpose of the gathering was to receive supporters of various parties who joined the APC.
“Today, we gather here to celebrate these 10,000 people, who decided to leave their various political parties for our great party, the APC.
“These are all card-carrying members of the PDP, NNPP and APGA who have decided to leave darkness for light, to leave regress for progress; to leave fear and intimidation for honour and integrity.
“These people are here today to delineate the unity and progress of the APC as the only party in Nigeria.
“The party that has the interest of the people; the party that wants to keep making Nigeria better, and the party that loves Nigeria and Nigerians,’’ she said.
She explained that without the slightest doubt, the antecedents of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, APC’s presidential candidate as a freedom fighter culminated in his founding role in the APC’s formation.
The convener said that Tinubu is very presidential and has a track record that nobody could beat.
“In the light of the above, I wish to urge all the good people of Kano State to join hands with other well-meaning Nigerians to massively vote for Asiwaju as president and Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna as Kano State governor,’’ she said.
Speaking on behalf of the APC presidential and governorship candidates, the Northwest coordinator Tinubu support groups, Malam Baffa Dan-Agundi said the efforts of Hajiya Isyaka-Rabiu were commendable.
“With the track records of the family you come from, we will not be surprised because this is what you inherited from your late father Sheikh Isiyaku Rabiu,’’ he said.
Dan-Agundi commended the defectors, saying they made the right decision by joining the APC.
He charged the new members to aggressively mobilise for the victory of all the APC candidates at the 2023 general elections.
Some of the defectors, who spoke at the event, said they decided to join APC because of its developmental strides in the state and at the federal level.