BY DAMOLA EMMANUEL
President Muhammadu Buhari, on Thursday, took a long look at the gale of defections rocking his party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, and described the defectors as “bad eggs”.
“God will continue to fish out the bad eggs among us,” the President told party faithful in Bauchi at the commencement of the campaign train of Hon. Gumau Lawal Yahaya, who is contesting the Bauchi South Senatorial District re-run election. The APC candidate for the August 11, 2018 poll was formally presented at the event.
Although hordes of APC stalwarts and members from Benue, Kwara, Kano, and Sokoto States have, in the past two weeks, dumped the party for the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Buhari urged his supporters not to be perturbed by the serial decamping.
According to a statement from Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, the President assured his supporters that there was no cause for alarm because his government had remained focussed and faithful to its campaign promise of boosting the economy, securing lives and property, and curbing corruption.
“The work we are doing is because of God, our country and you,” Buhari, who is billed to travel to London for a 10-day vacation, said. “I want to inform you that the knowledge we have garnered over the years, we won’t allow you to be cheated.
‘‘Like we promised, what will determine a good future for the country are security, strong economy and to stop corruption.
“We campaigned on these things, you voted for us and we will never forget,” the president said to a thunderous applause by party supporters at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium, Bauchi.
Although the President exuded confidence as he addressed the supporters, Adams Oshiomhole, APC National Chairman, who accompanied Buhari to Bauchi, had, Wednesday night, admitted that the gale of decampments was not an exciting development that any sane person would crave for, but that the party had no cause to fret, nonetheless.
From the various reactions and excitement generated so far by the cross-party movements, it would appear the APC is shaken a little. This, perhaps, necessitated Wednesday night’s closed door meetings between the President and some APC Senators, led by the Senate Leader, on the one hand, and some governors on another.
During the meetings held at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja, with Oshiomhole in attendance, desperate efforts were made to quench the conflagration. The meetings, notwithstanding, political watchers believe more APC federal lawmakers may still decamp.
