By Israel Bulus, Kaduna
Three members of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, elected under the banner of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) along with their supporters.
The three opposition lawmakers are Engr. Henry Mara (Jaba Constituency), Hon. Bar. Emmanuel Kantiok (Zonkwa Constituency), and Hon. Samuel Kambai (Zango Constituency).
Announcing their defection on Thursday at their respective local constituencies, the lawmakers revealed that their decision was motivated by a desire to align with the state party due to the exemplary leadership and performance displayed by Governor Uba Sani over the past eighteen months.
This shift occurs just two days after Amos Magaji, the lawmaker representing the Zangon Kataf/Jaba Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, also defected to the APC.
The lawmakers asserted that the political future of their constituents is paramount, believing they would be able to serve their people more effectively within the ruling party.
Engr. Henry Mara, representing Jaba Constituency, declared that the PDP’s dominance in Southern Kaduna has “rapidly crumbled.”
“A significant realignment in the power structure of the State House of Assembly is on the horizon, as we expect more opposition members to abandon the PDP in favour of the APC,” Mara stated.
Hon. Samuel Kambai, representing Zango Constituency, remarked that the achievements of the Kaduna State Governor have dispelled animosity towards the ruling party and effectively ‘killed’ the opposition in the state.
“Governor Uba Sani’s commendable accomplishments within two years have contributed to the decline of opposition parties,” he noted.
“Southern Kaduna has been a bastion of the opposition PDP since 1999, but today, that stronghold has been broken by Governor Uba Sani’s credible leadership.”
Bar. Emmanuel Kantiok, representing the Zonkwa Constituency, explained that the state has endured escalating insecurity over the past eight years; however, there is now a sense of relative peace, and he pledged to build upon Governor Uba Sani’s existing successes.
