Another PDP Governor Gives Defection Signal, As He Applauds Umahi For Joining APC

Another Governor elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bello Matawalle has given the signal that he might be joining the ruling party soon after applauding  Ebonyi State Governor Dave Umahi for his decision to move to APC.

Matawalle the Governor of Zamfara state while applauding Umahi's decision on Friday revealed that it was bad blood that triggered Umahi's decision to join the All Progressives Congress (APC).

READ ALSO: More Big Names To Join APC, Buni Reveals

Further frowning at the Governors of the South-South region for claiming that Umahi left the party for his selfish interest, Matawalle said Umahi should be applauded rather than condemned for his decision to join the ruling APC.

Warning that PDP will be on the losing side if the discord in the party continues, Matawalle said:

“If this trend of generating bad blood amongst us continues unabated, our great party will increasingly be on the receiving end as we move towards the year 2023.

“I am having a very bad experience of recent from some of my PDP governor colleagues which I still find very puzzling. For instance, the South-South governors accusing me in the media are PDP governors and they are the same people who brewed controversy over the so-called Zamfara gold, premised on deliberate misinformation and outright lies.

“Surprisingly, it is the APC Federal Government which has all the correct records on the gold mining issue that came out to defend me in this saga. As PDP colleagues, I expected the governors to contact me first and find out my own side of the story before unleashing their venom in the media.

“As the brouhaha lasted, I commend the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Muhammadu Buhari for being supportive of our efforts to organise the economic sector in the state to avoid using the mineral deposits to promote insecurity in our dear state.

“Today, the Federal Government is issuing licences to deserving companies to operate in the mining sector in the state. The biggest company with an investment of billions of naira is owned by a Nigerian from Anambra state. And I wonder where the idea of Zamfara state owning the gold mines emanated from. As at now, the state Government does not have a hand in any of the mining activity in the state because the constitution does not empower us to do so.

“I call on the South-South governors to eschew intellectual idleness and support its people to operate modular refineries as provided by the law and lift their people out of fear rather than sit behind and start chasing shadows rather than substance.”

Recall that  AllNews had earlier in the week reported that the chairman of APC caretaker committee and Governor of Yobe state Mai Mala Buni had earlier revealed that more governors will join the ruling party from its main oppsoition, the PDP.

This revelation came after top members of the PDP dumped the party to join the ruling APC.