Former chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Alhaji Muhammad Bashir Sa’idu, has declared the party dead in Kaduna State following his formal defection with over 200,000 members to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Sa’idu, a former political ally of ex-Governor Nasir El-Rufai and former Commissioner of Finance, made the declaration at a ceremony in Zaria on Saturday organised to receive ADC decampees.
A one-time Chief of Staff in the El-Rufai administration, Sa’idu said several support groups and non-ADC members also defected alongside Alhaji Jafaru Sani, a former ADC gubernatorial aspirant, and Senator Suleiman Abdu Kwari.
Speaking at the event, Sa’idu said 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 the ADC with their strength, sweat and blood but “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,” he said.
Sa’idu disclosed that the Kaduna De-Initiatives thereafter called an emergency meeting of its Steering Committee and took a decision to return to APC, adding that “after all, we helped build 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.
He said there is not a single bona fide politician remaining in ADC, adding that there is now no opposition in Kaduna State following their defection because “we were the opposition.”
The former Chief of Staff promised that on election day, ADC will come a distant third.
In his remarks, Governor Uba Sani described the defection as a day of joy for Nigeria and Kaduna State.
Describing Sa’idu as a principled and trustworthy politician, the Governor said: “He 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.”
Governor Sani said there is no discrimination in APC, adding that “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,” he said.
The Governor said with Sa’idu’s return, there is no more opposition in Kaduna State, adding that the focus is now on the margin of victory.
“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 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,” Sani said.
“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 APC in all elections.”
