Gyang Bere, Jos
No fewer than 1,500 persons, on Friday, defected from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) in Riyom/Wereng Federal Ward of Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State.
Chairman of the party in the state, Hon. Latep Dabang, who received the decampees, said the party would not discriminate against them, saying they were now legible to vote and been voted for once their names are contain in the ward party register.
Dabang, represented by APC chairman in Riyom Local Government Area, Mark Kwon, urged the decampees to support the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Simon Lalong in 2019.
“You are welcome into the APC family, we are very accommodative; we do not discriminate against those who come newly into the party, our goal is to work together in the interest of APC in 2019.”
Chairman, Riyom Local Government Area, Hon. Emmanuel Danboyi Jugul, said Riyom which was a stronghold of PDP in 2015 has been dominated by the ruling APC.
He expressed confident that APC would win the Presidential, Governorship, National Assembly and Local Government elections in the area.
Hon. Jugul said with the sitting of a trauma-healing Hospital in Riyom by the rescue administration of Governor Simon Lalong, the council area was now better positioned to tackle issues that arises from decades of violence that erupted the local government since 2001.
He solicited support for President Buhari and Governor Simon Lalong and said there is no alternative to their reelection in 2019.
Leader of the decampees, Dalyop Luka, said their defection to the APC has become necessary due to the outstanding performance of Governor Lalong in security building, fight against corruption and the revolution in the agricultural sector.
Luka said they are not coming to dragged position with them but they should be carried along in the running of the party so that they can also work hard to bring some people into the party.