President Muhammadu Buhari has reacted to the incident that took place at the National Assembly earlier today, saying there was nothing strange about it, as it is election period, he can only wish defectors well in their future undertakings.
The President who has been busy holding bilateral talks with the visiting Niger President, Mr. Mahamadou Issoufou in Abuja, released a statement a few minutes ago, blaming what happened on ‘local politics’ where politicians tend to jump ship when it is almost time for elections.
He said he had no issues with any of the National Assembly members that defected, as the defection from the All Progressive Congress to the Peoples Democratic Party, was never about him as being insinuated.
He said some of the defectors had issues in their various states and were aggrieved on happenings in the State, which he said the Party leadership tried their best to reconcile aggrieved members, but it did not work, a result of what happened today.
One of those that decamped was Senator Kwankwanso who only last night, was at the Villa to see the President, on issues they did not disclose. But from what we saw today and the statement he (President) just released, he could be that some of the aggrieved APC members must have briefed the President on their grievances with their state Governors, and since no one was shifting grounds, it was better for the President to lose a Senator than a Governor going into 2019 general elections…lesson of 2015…lol
The Statement released by the President reads:
“I wish all of our party members who today defected, the very best in their future undertakings. The APC has done its best to stop the defections, and I must commend the party leadership for working tirelessly to unite the party and position it for future victory.
I am confident that no harm or injury will be done by these defections, to the APC and its aspirations. I urge party faithful to not despair, but to instead see this as something that happens in seasons like this, on the eve of elections.”