The Kaduna State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Edward Masha, has alleged that some of their members who recently defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress worked against the party in 2023.
Masha made the assertion during a meeting with the Southern Kaduna Journalists Forum in Zonkwa, the headquarters of Zango Kataf Local Government Area.
He maintained that their defection will in no way hinder the chances of the PDP in the upcoming 2027 election, as the party remains deeply rooted at the grassroots level.
“The people of Southern Kaduna are well-educated; they know who to vote for, and they will consider the candidates’ records,” he stated.
He explained that, when it comes to national elections, particularly the Senate and certain members seeking re-election, the pertinent question for the electorate will be what these candidates have done for their constituents.
It is not merely a matter of party affiliation, he emphasised, asserting that the PDP has performed well and will continue to uphold its standards.
“There are numerous reasons why people defect. Primarily, if you lose touch with your constituents, or if the zoning arrangements do not favour you, or if you are unable to secure support during the congresses, you might feel that remaining in the party will not provide you with another opportunity to contest. Consequently, seeking an easier alternative becomes appealing.
“I will state unequivocally that some of the defectors, after losing the primaries in 2022, did not support the party and, frankly, in the last 2023 election, they campaigned for a different party, not the PDP. This is well-documented, even as some of them lost at the congresses. Regrettably, they left. As a party, we view this as a betrayal of our mandate, and we will not remain passive; we will take every necessary step to invoke the provisions of the Constitution to reclaim our mandate.
“Review the history of those who left the party, and you will see they do not factor into our calculations. However, I want to assure the general public, especially the PDP family, that together we are stronger, and we will win our elections. We have a procedure in place; we will conduct primary elections, while the other party has not conducted any primaries. A notable instance was the local government elections, where not a single candidate from the APC across the 23 Local Government Areas underwent the normal primary election process.
“During the local government elections, we provided leadership and held the Government accountable, which is why they were unable to conduct the elections; they merely announced names. I assure you that this will not occur in a national election. Many of those who left were promised automatic tickets; let them go and secure those tickets, but they will ultimately return to meet the grassroots”, Masha asserted.
He reiterated that as a party, they will continue to represent the people.
“If you observe our legislators, their actions reflect the functions of the Executive, and before 2027, you will witness significant defections to our party. Those who have currently defected have done so for their own interests, not because they were denied the opportunity to develop their areas”, he concluded.
