APC Chieftain decamped to PDP, lauds Gov Bala’s achievement.

By Mohammed kaka Misau

A Chieftain of the All Progressives (APC) in Bauchi State, Hon. Zakariyya Baba Hardawa said in an interview with Baushe Daily Times on Tuesday that he has dumped his party for the winning Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Hardawa, a Flag bearer of APC who contested for the seat of State House of Assembly for Hardawa constituency in the 2019 general election said, he left the All Progressives Congress for Peoples Democratic Party because his party failed to make good use of the opportunity given to them by Nigerians.

Hardawa, a one time lecturer with the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi stressed that the beauty of democracy is to carry everybody along in order foster developments and deliver dividends to people. But, that was not the case with APC took over from the PDP in 2015.

“The APC was unable to help matters due to the nature of its composition. Contrary to the party’s logo, members consider themselves differently because they come from different parties that merged to APC.

He said that the problem lingered up-to 2019 when APC failed to ulitilize the good opportunity given them by failing to help the people that voted them in to power, adding that, “this and other factors made us lost the governorship seat to the PDP in Bauchi state”.

“Let me give you an example, problem started shortly after we won the governorship in Bauchi in 2015.

It reached to a situation that when you identify yourself with some people who are also stake holders you will have problem with others.

He said as a result of the internal conflict in the APC, they were unable to help or find jobs for their teaming supporters.

“you know I contested under the APC, they were saying that they gave me ticket, I didn’t won the primaries, If the APC gave me the ticket as a favor, then what is the difference between them and the PDP we have been accusing of injustice and lack of internal democracy?
That means the APC was also unjust to some of its members too”, he stated.
“Secondly, everybody knows what happened in the APC during its primaries prior to 2019 general election. I had an opportunity then to tell them to write my name. But, I insisted that they should come to Hardawa town hall and distribute voting materials so we can have proper primaries”.

He said, “any one who says election was not conducted in Hardawa town, which is just a ward out of six is right. But anybody saying election was not done in Hardawa Constituency is wrong. I challenge such person because election was carried out there”.

The decampee said he won at the three wards out of six where election were properly conducted, including the ward of the incumbent.

“There was confusion in Hardawa town, the venue was very crowded, the election there was not well organized, there was no election in Akuyam which is my strong hold, and the electoral officer was protecting the interest of somebody who doesn’t want me to win at all cost. Despite all these I won the overall election held in the three wards and I have a copy of the result sheet. But they changed the results and announced someb else as the party’s candidate”,

“No body amongst them knows how I fought to reclaim my candidacy from Abuja, so, APC should not claim that it gave me the ticket. In fact, I lost election to their anti party activities, not because I am not popular.
They were also not there to protect our votes on the election day and you know candidates are restricted on election days.

Hardawa who said he had remained calm despite been sabotaged by his former party and did all he could to ensure that the electorates are been carried along by the party and its members that won election into various seat of power, regretted that his efforts fall on deaf ears.

“In political science, I am made to understand that the most serious thing that kills a political party is anti party and the politics of exclusion” I am a victim of the dou, and such action is dangerous to every political party”, the decamped APC stalwart said.

Hardawa said he dumped the APC because he was made irrelevant and the party refused to help the masses who were also demanding assistance from him despite the fact that he is not in government.

I was meditating on it when I received the news that Dogara has left PDP for the APC, All that was said about him when he left APC prior to 2019 election was no longer remembered”. Hardawa faulted Dogara’s claims on Governor Bala Mohammed as unjustifiable, was he not aware that Gov. Bala Mohammed was in Kuje Prison before the 2019 election? Why does he supported him? adding that the likes of Dogara are only pursuing their personal interest. The same person calls Gov. He added.

He said that the reply given by Governor Bala Mohammed where he said APC doesn’t know how to lead and carry its people and that there was nothing in the APC except sabotage is true.

Hardawa who claimed that he had kept a recorded video of Kaura’s campaign promise he made in Akuyam that he will build road for them, expressed delight that the governor has made it a reality.

“I had kept that video so that if Kaura failed to fulfill the promise I will use it to challenge him in the next electioneering campaigns, but before I know, Kaura started constructing many roads across the state, Sade to Akuyam which is the in my constituency amongst others, many of this roads have been completed in a year. he said.

Narrating how he was endeared by the performance of the Governor to join the PDP, Hardawa said he was contacted by the PDP chairman of his local government, Misau and his friend, Danmalikin Boto who later facilitated a meeting with the state party chairman.

He said he didn’t left the APC without consulting his teaming supporters, adding he has decamped to the Peoples Democratic Party with all of them.

“I consulted widely. Even before I nursed the ambition of dumping the APC some of my supporters have been calling on me to leave APC and they will join me in any party I go. They said I am the reason why they are still in the APC, so I consulted widely, I met with all my coordinators and they supported my movement”, he said.

The former APC Chieftain said he has decamped to the PDP alongside his teaming supporters in order to contribute his quota to the development of Bauchi State as being carried out by Governor Bala Mohammed who he believe will take the state to the promise land.

He advised the Governor to sustain the current developmental efforts being carried out in all sectors of the economy.

“Just like he has fulfilled many of his campaign promises, I urge him to continue. He should constitute a committee that will take all the inventory of his promises which will work to identify which one has been carried out and which is awaiting fulfilment”, he said.

He appealed to the Governor to consider the problem of erosion in Gwaram which according to him is threatening the entire village including the house of village head.

Hardawa who decried that Hardawa town have been left behind in terms of dividends of democracy citing that Governor Mu’azu had construction two kilometer roads to all the district headquarters and some villages, but Hardawa was the only town excluded, expressed confidence that the Governor will look into their plights.
Zadawa also have a similar problem like Gwaram. He added. Being manly Fulani setliment, there is also need for the construction of dam at Zadawa or Tofo area which share the same boundary.
He thanked the governor and all other stakeholders that played one role or the other to see that he has been accepted by the Peoples Democratic Party especially, the state party chairman, the local government Chairman and his deputy, the local government chairman and all the stakeholders who remained friendly including Hon. Bappa Aliyu Misau, who is also a decamped from PRP and suffered similar strokes from APC.