A former deputy governor in Zamfara state, Alhaji Ibrahim Wakkala Muhammad on Wednesday announced his formal defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Wakkala who deputized former Governor Abdulaziz Yari from 2011 to 2019 made his decision known shortly after he held meeting with his key supporters in Gusau, the state capital.

“There were several speculations making the rounds for about two years now over where I politically belong; hence I feel this is the right time to put the records straight”

“I want to inform you that all this while, whether as a member of G8 group or not, I have remained a full card-carrying member of the All Progressives Party, APC, even though since the time of our crisis in 2019, the party did not consider us relevant, as demonstrated by its not inviting or informing us of any of its activities.

“I want to formally inform the general public that I have finally defected from the APC and have officially joined the PDP right from my Madawaki Ward under Gusau Local Government Area,” he said.

Alhaji Wakkala said he started making moves to deregister himself from the APC “when the party was hijacked by some self-centred individuals and that the party refused to accord relevance to those who toiled hard to nurture it.

“The mission of those individuals was to alienate and disenfranchise the majority members of the party and produce primaries in which only their handpicked surrogates are declared the winners. This move eventually destabilized the party and we formed the G8 group under it.”

He further pointed out that “since the inception of the present administration under governor Bello Matawalle, I have been playing an advisory role especially in addressing the security issues of the state which by Allah’s grace is gradually reducing”

“For these reasons and my genuine concerns to the growth and development of Zamfara and the improved welfare of its citizens, the Governor has appealed to me to join him into the PDP so that together, we can work for the progress of the state,” he added.