From Raji Bello, Sokoto
The Senator representing Sokoto Central in the National Assembly, Alhaji Ahmed Maccido has said he decided not to defect to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) because the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) remains the only true national party.
He assured his supporters that he would not dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in spite of the threats posed by some members from his zone, even as he reiterated his commitment to the ideals of PDP.
“PDP is the only party with a national outlook, devoid of any ethnic or religious colourations”, he said.
Maccido spoke in Sokoto on Tuesday, when he addressed journalists shortly after the completion of the tour of the eight local governments that made up his senatorial zone.
The local government are: Kware, Wamakko, Sokoto north, Sokoto south, Binji, Tangaza, Gudu and Silame.
He said that PDP remains the only party which faithfully upholds the principles of internal democracy, according to him, “In PDP, the principles of equity, fairness and internal democracy are sacrosanct. All the members of the party are being given the equal opportunities to vie for any post and at all levels”.
He further said that PDP had since 1999 endeavoured to evenly transform Nigeria in all aspects of human endeavours, adding that the two-day tour of his constituency afforded him the opportunity to intimate all the stakeholders of the party and his supporters on why he will remain with in the PDP.
According to him, “PDP is the only party that practises true democracy and it gave me the first mandate between 2007 to 2011. The party also gave me my current mandate from 2011 to date, which is yet to expire. The future of the people of my constituency, Sokoto state and Nigeria in general is brighter and more guaranteed under the PDP,” he assured.
Maccido also disclosed that his supporters had advised him against defecting to the APC, saying, “Doing so is tantamount to betraying the confidence they have reposed in me religiously.”
It would be recalled that the former executives of the PDP in the Senatorial zone, who had now defected to the APC, had at a press conference in Sokoto penultimate week, dissociated themselves from Maccido, for refusing to defect to the APC.
