Alhaji Sani Abubakar, the All Progressives Party governorship candidate in Taraba State, has received more than 5,000 members of the United Democratic Party and other political parties in the state, who defected to the APC.

The defectors, including local government and ward officials, had earlier left the APC and followed the former Minister of Women Affairs, Senator Aisha Alhassan, to the UDP.

Receiving the defectors on Saturday in Jalingo, Abubakar said with the publication of the list of the party’s candidates for various positions, all issues and grievances arising from the recent primaries have been laid to rest.

He appealed to all party members to close ranks and face the task of delivering victory to the party in 2019.

The governorship candidate said that the party had commenced the process of reconciliation by reaching out to some of the former governorship aspirants.

“With the publication of the list of candidates, the issues surrounding our party primaries have now been resolved and we have already initiated the peace and reconciliation process,’’ he said.

“It is good that you have realised your mistakes in time and have decided to return home in your numbers”, he told the defectors.

“Let me assure you that the task ahead of us is enormous; we should not be distracted by a UDP or anything else.

“I can assure you that most of the former aspirants are ready to work with us to rescue our dear state,” Abubakar said. (NAN)