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President Muhammadu Buhari is undaunted with the Tuesday, 24/2018 defection of at least 52 lawmakers from his ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Instead, the APC leader wished all the defectors well in their future endeavour.
No fewer than 15 senators and 37 members of House of Representative defected from APC to other political parties in an alignment ahead of the 2019 general elections.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Garba Shehu, said on Tuesday that the president was committed to the values of democracy, freedom of choice.
The President is also totally willing to work with all members of the National Assembly, irrespective of their political party in the interest of the nation.
“As the saying goes, all politics is local. We understand that some of the distinguished and honourable lawmakers have issues with their home states, especially on zoning which bars some of them from seeking another term in their constituencies,” he said.
He explained that none of the lawmakers who defected had “any specific grievances against him or the government he leads” and that the APC had done its utmost to stop the defections.
Also, the President commended the leadership of the party for relentlessly working for its unity and ensuring success in the upcoming elections and assured members of the APC of his total support.
Despite the defection, the President urged party members not to despair but to see the development as a seasonal occurrence that happens on election eve.
He expressed confidence that no harm or injury will be done to the party and its aspirations by the movements.
In his reaction to the developments Tuesday morning at the National Assembly, the President noted that none of the defecting federal lawmakers of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had any specific grievances against him or the government he leads; neither did he harbour anything against any of them.
President Buhari wished all the decamped members the best in their future undertakings.
Meanwhile, NAN’s Ismaila Chafe, reports that the National Chairman of APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has told former members who switched to the Peoples Democratic Party Tuesday that he is not going to lose any sleep at all about their departure, as ‘water will find its level’ sooner.
The APC lost 15 senators and 33 representatives to the PDP and 3 others to the African Democratic Congress.
Oshiomhole, however, said the APC was not worried with the defection which he described as “mercenary activities’’.
“Well, my attitude is like I have told you before, as the National Chairman, I am committed to listening to very legitimate grievances and engaging all those who are aggrieved that we can see through their grievances.
“But I insist that I will not miss a sleep one minute over mercenary activities.
“I had said and I want to repeat, this business of governance must be driven by men and women of honour.
“If the only motivation is personal interest, what is in it for me, how many people have done xyz for, if that is the basis, the earlier those in this business of personal gains, the earlier they return to where they belong the better.
“This party that I am privileged to chair is not worried at all, we are not disturbed.
“But let me assure you, I am so happy that over time that water will find its level.’’
“If indeed you belong to the extreme right, and you mistakenly find yourself in a progressive party, obviously that is not where you belong. As soon as you realise that you can’t adjust to the requirement of progressive, which is people driven, people based, people oriented and you choose to return to the right wing where you know what the name of the game was, share the money, it is your choice,’’ he added.
According to Oshiomhole, the APC is a progressive party and all its members must subscribe to the values and ideals of a progressive party.
On the reported siege on the houses of the Senate President and Deputy Senate President by security personnel, Oshiomhole said he was not aware of such incidents.
He said: “When you are dealing with law and order issues I am not going to stand here and make comment on the basis of your own speculations,
“I need to have the details. I am not into security apparatus, I do not understand how they operate but you also don’t want to accuse me of obstruction of justice, which a democracy requires.
“So I am going to limit myself to my brief, namely issues that affect membership and the running of the APC. Just to reassure you, I am happy.
“I have made this point long ago that with time, Nigerians will really have to be able to say, this is what this party stands for, this is what the other party stands for.
“This thing that in the morning you will have breakfast with me, in the afternoon you are having lunch with python and in the evening you are having sugarcane with some other forces,
“I think in the interest of our nation we need to simplify these issues before the electorate. Because, the confusion is that you have coalition of people whose ideas are not compatible.’’
NAN