The lawmaker representing Katsina North Senatorial District, Ahmad Babba Kaita, has dumped the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), Naija News learnt.
This was contained in a statement released on Wednesday through his media aide, Abdulkadir Lawal.
Kaita has immediately joinedforces with the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
TrakNews understands that the senatorial district represented by Kaita comprises 12 local government areas, including Daura, President Muhammad Buhari’s hometown.
Giving reasons for his defection, Kaita said his decision was stirred by the marginalisation of critical stakeholders by the state government and the leadership of the party at the state level.
Kaita also berated Governor Aminu Bello Masari-led administration which according to him is witnessing a gradual decline to undemocratic principles with a total absence of a level playing field for grassroots politicians and genuine parties’ foot-soldiers.
The senator said as an advocate of transparency and continuous entrenchment of popular will, he could not afford to continue sharing the tent of undemocratic merchandise clearly being executed against his people by the state government and party leadership, TrackNews reports.
Babba Kaita assured that his defection to the PDP was positive and is informed by his determined desire and opportunity to provide succour and much-needed dividends of democracy to his people.
The statement said, “As a loyal party man and responsive democrat whose expansive support base in his constituency has remained pivotal to his passion for the reciprocal growth and development of his people, Distinguished Senator Ahmad Babba Kaita has followed the recent events in Katsina state with keen interest and deep concern.
“Of notable implication among many of these numerous concerns is the gradual loss of credibility in Governor Masari-led’s administration, particularly in the avowed refusal to conduct local government elections across the state in time.
“The willful refusal of the administration to uphold the basic foundation of democracy has also found expression in the marginalisation of critical stakeholders by the state government and the leadership of the party at the state level.
“The recent Congresses at the state and ward levels, with no identified genuine pro-government delegates are rape of grassroots politicians and genuine party foot-soldiers who were rigged out of the open contest.
“The total absence of a level playing field speaks volumes about an already orchestrated decline to anti-democratic principles and challenges every good conscience including ours. All politics is local.
“As an advocate of transparency, accountability and continuous entrenchment of popular will, Senator Kaita cannot afford to continue sharing the tent of undemocratic merchandise clearly being executed against his people by the state government and party leadership.
“A clear stock-taking of where Katsina state stands today is already enough burden on good conscience. Our good people, in their millions, have excused deprivation, poverty and hunger for too long.
“They have endured the risk to their lives and wellbeing imposed by the incapacity of the state government to tackle insecurity head-on.
Kaita further accused the state government of denying the citizens of benefits and rights.
He said the “serial denial of, the people’s mandate at the recent Congresses among other related developments has finally found expression in our answer to the clarion call of our people to vacate the APC following very head-consultations.
“Senator Ahmad Babba Kaita is not a bandwagon politician. His exemplary and robust representation in the Nigerian Senate is to the admiration of all, and with significant, visible impacts in the areas of infrastructural and human capital development across the three Senatorial zones of the state. There is room to do more.”
