The political tsunami known as All Progressive Congress (APC) today consumed former Kaduna State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Audi Yaro Makama, former commissioners and 70 other party members who defected to the opposition party.

Among the former members of the PDP who defected to APC are the Campaign Director General of late governor Patrick Yakowa during the 2011 elections, Ambassador Sule Buba, and former Chairman of Kaduna South Local Government Area, Alhaji Auwal Ali Tafoki, among others.

The defectors were received this evening by the state’s APC Interim Chairman, Hakeem Baba Ahmed, and other APC stakeholders at a guest inn located in Malali GRA.

Addressing the gathering, Alhaji Audi Makama said injustice in PDP forced them to leave the party to join APC. According to him, what is happening today in Nigeria is a political revolution which they cannot wait to be consumed by it.

“We cannot wait to be consumed by the political revolution that is happening in this country. The injustice in PDP is one reason why we left the party to APC. As you can see must of the people here are PDP members that have played a greater role in its development,” he said, adding:

“We cannot wait in a party that cannot provide infrastructure to people of the state. This is why we want those in PDP to know that I hardly join a party that I know will not deliver. So by 2015 APC will win elections in Kaduna.”

Earlier, Baba Ahmed assured the defectors that in the next few days they would be registered as APC members like any other member of the party.

He said: “As the time being it is a very good development for Kaduna state and a very good development for Nigeria. As you can see these are only the small leadership that defected because about 75 people came here today but we are going to have a gathering here that will bring more than a million people APC and former PDP people.

“We are going to show the people of Kaduna state that next government in this state will be produced by APC. People who have been chairmen of APC since 1999 have been part of this group. We have gotten two ex PDP chairmen that produce governors of PDP that have now joined APC. They have also brought high level PDP people to join the party and they are welcome.”

On the fears expressed by some APC members that the defectors may likely hijack the party leadership in the state, Dr Hakeem said: “It’s natural for APC members to worry but APC is not for hijacking, APC is a party that is strong on the ground. We have started building structures at local government and wards levels.

“Nobody will hijack this party so long we are leading this party. There is no way PDP people will come and take over our party. Those that join us will come in as member and they will behave as members.”

•Photo shows APC Interim National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande.

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