An aid to President Muhammadu Buhari, Senator Ahmad Babba Kaita representing the Northern senatorial district in the Senate has dumped the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
In a statement issued to newsmen in Katsina on Wednesday and signed by his Media Adviser Malam Abdulkadir Lawal said, ‘today opens a fresh page in our match to genuinely entrench democracy and significantly affirm the very eloquent voice of the people on whose mandate we have served over the last four years.
Kaita noted that as a loyal party man and responsive democrat whose expansive support base in his constituency said he has remained pivotal to his passion for the reciprocal growth and development of his people.
He also said he has followed the recent events in Katsina state with keen interest and deep concern, saying, ‘Of notable implication among many of this numerous concerns is the gradual loss of credibility in Governor Masari-led administration, particularly in the avowed refusal to conduct local government elections across the state in time.
‘ The willful refusal of the administration to uphold the basic foundation of democracy has also found expression in the marginalisation of critical stakeholders by the state government and the leadership of the party at the state level.
‘ The recent Congresses at state and ward levels, with no identified genuine pro-government delegates are clearly a rape of grassroots politicians and genuine party foot-soldiers who were rigged out of open contest.
According to the Senator, the total absence of a level playing field speaks volumes about an already orchestrated decline to antidemocratic principles and challenges every good conscience including ours, noting that, ‘all politics is local.
To this end, the statement maintained that as an advocate of transparency, accountability and continuous entrenchment of popular will, Senator Kaita cannot afford to continue sharing the tent of undemocratic merchandise clearly being executed against his people by the state government and party leadership.
‘A clear stock taking of where Katsina state stands today, is already enough burden on good conscience. Our good people, in their millions have excused deprivation, poverty and hunger for too long.
‘They have endured the risk to their lives and wellbeing imposed by the incapacity of the state government to tackle insecurity headon. They have been denied enough, already, by the state government.
We cannot deny them their right of choice. The serial denial of the people’s mandate at the recent Congresses among other related developments has finally found expression in our answer to the clarion call of our people to vacate the APC following very wide consultations.
