El-Rufai’s ex-ally Bashir Sai’du joins APC, says ADC dead in Kaduna

A former chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Muhammad Bashir Sa’idu, has declared the party dead in Kaduna State, following his defection with over 200,000 card-carrying members to the All Progressives Congress(APC).

Mr Sai’du, an ex-political ally of ex-Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and former commissioner of finance in the last administration, made the declaration at an elaborate ceremony in Zaria, organised to receive ADC defectors on Saturday.

Also a one-time chief of staff in the El-Rufai administration, Mr Sai’du said that there were several support groups and other non-ADC members that defected with him, along side Jafaru Sani, a former ADC governorship aspirant and a one-time commissioner of finance, Senator Suleiman Abdu Kwari.

Speaking at the occasion, Mr Sai’du recalled that his group, the Kaduna De-Initiatives, was the pillar of ADC which constituted the party’s structure from ward to state level after the congresses.

According to him, they built ADC with their strength, sweat and blood but unfortunately, ‘’a few individuals who later joined the party hijacked it.’’

‘’We discovered that the party was being teleguided by a family, a situation which we found unacceptable. So, we studied the situation and compared the list of ADC candidates that won the primaries and the candidates of APC.

‘’We saw that there was no basis for comparison; the contrast between the ADC and APC candidates is very glaring.”

Mr  Sa’idu noted that the Kaduna De-Initiatives thereafter called for an emergency meeting of its steering committee and took a decision to return to APC, adding that ‘’after all, we helped built the party.’’

‘’So, we have returned home. And as at one month ago, amongst those that defected with us, the number is about 100,000. These were card-carrying members of ADC. Between then and now, over 100,000 defectors have also joined APC,’’ he said.

The former commissioner of finance said that there was no single bonafide politician remaining in ADC, adding that there is now no opposition in Kaduna State, following their defection because ‘’we were the opposition.’’

The ex-chief of staff in the government of Mr El-Rufai promised that on election day, ADC would come a distant third when the results were announced.

In his brief remarks, Governor Uba Sani described the defection of Mr Saidu and other ADC bigwigs as a day of joy for Nigeria in general and Kaduna State in particular.

Describing Mr Saidu as a principled and trustworthy politician, the governor pointed out that when he makes up his mind on an issue, he sees it to its logical conclusion.

He added that the defector “Is a man of the people and even when he went to ADC, we were confident that he will return home. He stands for justice. Malam Jafaru Sani is also someone who can be trusted. He is also a seasoned public servant.’’

Mr Sani further said that there was no discrimination in the APC, adding”The person who joins today, the one who joined yesterday and the one who will join tomorrow, we are all one.’’

‘’I, as the Governor, House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, the North-West zonal Vice Chairman, Hon Garba Datti Babawo and all of us, none is more important than the other in our party. We are all equal and everyone has the right to aspire to any position that he wants.”

The governor reiterated that since Mr Sa’idu mooted the idea of returning to the APC, “I knew that there is no more opposition in Kaduna State. What is before us now, is not just about winning elections but the number of votes that we will deliver in Kaduna State.”

He stated, “Before now, we were promising to deliver two million votes but we have now upgraded to three million votes, God willing. There are 4,600,000 registered voters in Kaduna State and 96% have received their voters cards.

‘’We will go to every nook and cranny of Kaduna State, go house-to-house to canvass for votes, to ensure victory for the APC from top to bottom. President Bola Tinubu is proud of Kaduna State, that is why he chose one of own to become the House Speaker.

‘’The president loves Kaduna because he has sited many projects in our dear state, he has given many citizens of the state political appointments and so we should reciprocate by voting massively for the APC in all elections.”