By Ibrahim Khaleel, Dutse
The ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in Jigawa State has suffered setback as two members of the State House of Assembly elected on the party platform defected to Social Democratic Party, SDP.
Their defection was announced by the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Isah Gwaram, at a plenary on Friday.
Reading a letter signed by the two defecting members at the session, the Speaker said the decampees include Muhammad Balangu, representing Balangu Constituency and; Usman Masaki-Dansule, who represents Kaugama Constituency.
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Commenting on their defection, Mr Balangu said his defection followed failure of APC administration to actualise the change it has promised during the 2015 election.
Mr Balangu, who is the chairman of the House committee on information, also accused the APC of imposition of candidates, saying the party lacks internal democracy, and that the only alternative is SDP.
“I registered my new membership with the SDP with the hope that things will get better and the voices of the people will be heard. My decision supersedes personal interest,” he said.
DAILY NIGERIAN gathered that their defection may not be unconnected to the failure of the ruling APC to give them a ticket to contest for second term in the 2019 general election.
It was also learned that Mr Balangu was given a ticket by the SDP to contest for state House of Assembly in the forthcoming general election.
Our reporter gathered that Mr Masaki-Dansule was however given a senatorial ticket for Jigawa North-East senatorial zone by the SDP.
Bello Zaki, spokesman for Governor Badaru Abubakar, had dismissed allegations that the governor imposed candidates at the party’s primaries.
