By FRANCIS SARDAUNA, Katsina

The Katsina State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon. Salisu Yusuf Majigiri, has announced the defection of 5,000 members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and People’s Redemption Party (PRP) to the party.

Majigiri, who revealed this while receiving the decampees in Malumfashi Local Government Area of the state, urged them to concentrate on strengthening the party’s platform before the 2023 election cycle. He said: “Last week, my deputy represented me at an event in Malumfashi where he received decampees from the People’s Redemption Party under the leadership of Ja’afar Aliyu. He decamped to PDP with over 2,300 people. Today, we witnessed the registration of Lawal Yusuf into PDP.

“He decamped with followers of over 2,700. When you add the followers of Ja’afar Aliyu and that of Lawal Yusuf, you will have over 5,000 in Malumfashi local government alone that joined PDP within this week. The decampees are from APC, PRP and APGA”.

He, however, said lack of local government system and “misappropriation” of funds meant to cater for the welfare of rural dwellers in the state, had also contributed significantly to the spate of banditry and other nefarious activities afflicting the state, saying local government system is dead.

The PDP chairman, who accused the governor of running a closed-door government, called for the involvement of traditional and religious leaders in the ongoing war against banditry for the sustainability of peace and development in the state.

He said: “Since the inception of democracy in 1999 to date, we have never had a governor that doesn’t have local government councils at heart like Governor Aminu Bello Masari.

This is someone who met elected local governments officials in the state and dissolved them without following due processes.

“We want to ensure that democracy is in place, rule of law is followed that is why we are in court challenging his decision. If today, he make a pronouncement that all the dissolved local governments officials are reinstated to finish their 15 months tenure, we will withdraw the case before the court”. (THISDAY)