From Umar Dankano, Yola
The defection of three thousand (3000) former members of PDP, APC, ADC and KOWA parties to SDP in Guyuk local government Area of Adamawa state has been viewed as “sign of good tidings to come”.
Adamawa State Chairman of the Social Democratic Party, (SDP), Abubakar Yusuf, made the position of the party public while officially receiving the decampees in Guyuk weekend pledging a levelled playing ground to be accorded to all members of the party.
Yusuf said in their political platform (SDP) members are treated fairly and equally without any difference noting that even the new entrants are free to contest for any post of their choice either in the party hierarchy or political office at any level.
Yusuf however urged them to bring their wealth of experience on board with a view to strengthen the party calling on them to sensitize their people on the importance of acquiring their electoral voter’s card ahead of the 2023 general elections.
“We are a full pledged democratic party which has the masses at heart. Our cardinal principles is to entrench democracy in the state and to give every citizen of Adamawa a sense of belonging.
“We don’t discriminate in SDP. Both the new and the old members have equal chances in the party. They can aspire to become part of the exco or can stand to contest any election.
“So we enjoin you to sensitize your followers to acquire their electoral voter’s cards which is the necessary tool for effecting our needed and desired change,” Yusuf said.
Leader of the decampees and ex-senior stakeholder of APC in the State, John Nafama Thimnu said their resolve to defect to SDP is due to the conviction that, SDP is the only party for the masses and it will give them a fair deal.
“We decided to take our leave from the APC because of gross injustice and maltreatment. With the coming of Ardo into the SDP, we believe a new dawn is in the offing and we shall take the political terrain by storm,” he said.
Thimnu who was a former national delegate of APC said his return to SDP was a home coming because he is one of the founding fathers of the party in the area.
“SDP is a leading political party right from the days of Bala Takaya in Guyuk. When Takaya ran for the office of governor he won in Guyuk. And the current SGF Boss Mustapha also won his gubernatorial contest in Guyuk also Eng. Markus Gundiri won decisively in Guyuk. In fact, there is no candidate of SDP who lost election in Guyuk in the past.
“Let me tell you, with the coming of Dr. Umar Ardo, a dogged fighter, a just and fair leader and a man who believed in the democratic principles of justice, we will regain our winning streak in Guyuk. We will return our governorship candidate and all other elective positions with a landslide,” he said.
Similarly, a former commissioner in the State and a senior stakeholder of APC in Guyuk, Tawadiu Magaji said they were tired with the impunity taking place in APC as such they decided to massively return to SDP which is their ancestral political party in Guyuk.
“We deemed it together with our teeming supporters to leave the APC behemoth which has earned notoriety for impunity and gross injustice to return to our natural ecosystem.
“APC has been completely hijacked by some unscrupulous power mongers who had turned it to their personal fiefdoms. No democrat worth his onions will remain in a party that has been hijacked by moneybags and tin Gods.
“With Dr. Ardo in the lead, we will surely return our party to its winning streak in Guyuk local government,” he said.
Another stakeholder of APC Ben Jonah who said they decided to defect to SDP after they were convinced beyond reasonable doubt that APC will never change said, “all the positions in APC have been sold to the highest bidder.
“We who don’t have money felt that we should return to SDP, the party of the masses. I’m a renowned grass root mobilizer in Adamawa State and I’m promising you that we will use our wide network to bring Ardo as our next governor.”