in Katsina

The gale of defections sweeping through the Katsina State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken a different dimension following the defection of 263 former aspirants of the party into a new coalition.

The coalition, under the leadership of the former Secretary to the Katsina State Government, Dr. Mustapha Mohammed Inuwa, is said to have been working behind the scenes to form a political party to unseat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.

The defectors include 25 former State House of Assembly aspirants, 13 chairmanship and 225 councilorship aspirants on the platform of the PDP during the 2023 general election.

They announced their defection into the new political movement at a strategic meeting with leaders of the coalition held at Inuwa’s office along Katsina-Mani road  yesterday.

Speaking on behalf of the 25 former state Assembly aspirants, Jamilu Yahaya, said they left the PDP because it had become disconnected from the aspirations of the Nigerians it seeks to lead.

He explained that the former Assembly aspirants under his leadership will work with leaders of the coalition to form a political party that will oust the APC from power in 2027.

Yahaya, who read the names of the defectors, said: “We have entered an agreement with leaders of the coalition, and we are going to support it to succeed. We will woo other members of the PDP to join the coalition.”

On his part, the Chairman of 2023 local government chairmanship aspirants, Yasir Ibrahim, said they left the PDP to join forces with the coalition because of deceit and leadership crisis rocking the party in the state.

He stated that 13 local government chairmanship aspirants have joined the coalition, and efforts were ongoing to woo aggrieved PDP members into the coalition ahead of the 2027 poll.

Earlier, the Chairman of the 2023 councilorship aspirants in the state on the platform of the PDP, Hon. Aminu Usman, said 225 out of the 361 former councilorship aspirants have joined the coalition.