Former governor of Zamfara and leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Abdulaziz Yari, has welcomed the decision of current governor Bello Matawalle to decamp from the People’s Democratic Party to APC.
But Matawalle’s party, PDP, has warned that his defection amounts to him vacating his office and legislative positions.
Matawalle is to be received officially by the national leadership of the party in Gusau on Tuesday.
Yari while addressing the APC Stakeholders from all the Local Governments of the state at a meeting in Kaduna said the party welcomes Matawalle into the party alongside his supporters.
Yari however stressed that he and other stakeholders were still holding meetings to see how every member of the party will be treated fairly.
“We will not take any position without our people’s consent, that is why we invited all the stakeholders to make a stand.
“We will not decide on anything that will not be of benefit to the party as well as the state.
”We agreed that the Governor is coming with authority while we have the population in the state.
“So we hope and pray that his coming to the party will be beneficial and will add value to the party in the state. So, he is welcome,” he said.
In his remarks, a former Governor of the state, Alhaji Mamouda Shinkafi described Matawalle’s decamping as a blessing to the party and state.
However, the opposition PDP has cautioned Matawalle to know that his plans amounted to a decision to vacate office.
The National Publicity Secretary of the Party, Kola Ologbondiyan, gave the warning at a press conference at the PDP National Secretariat, in Abuja, on Monday.
“No law allows him to cross over to any other party with the governorship mandate statutorily given to the PDP through the ballot box.
“This is as already established by the provision of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the standing judgment of the Supreme Court,” he said.
“The PDP also cautions members of the National Assembly as well as members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly, not to allow themselves to be pushed into losing their seats.
“The provisions of the constitution are very clear in barring lawmakers from cross carpeting, except in a situation of a division in the political party upon which platform they were elected.
“There is no division in the PDP to warrant the defection of any of our lawmakers.
“The PDP hopes that Bello Matawalle, as well as members of the National and State Assembly from Zamfara state, will take caution,” Ologbondiyan added.
