By Adeleye Kunle
Bello Mandiya, the Senator representing Katsina South in Katsina State, has denied reports that he was planning to leave the All Progressives Congress (APC) for another political party.
Mandiya, responding to an online media report that he and other APC serving senators were planning to join a rumored coalition against the party, said the report contained no truth.
According to one media outlet, Senator Mandiya is one of 12 senators who have expressed a desire to leave the APC in order to join forces with senators from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to impeach President Muhammadu Buhari over the country’s worsening insecurity.
But, in an exclusive interview with Track News , Mandiya said that no amount of intimidation, blackmail, or a campaign of slander would cause him to leave the party he worked so hard to build for someone else.
“An online platform called ‘The Whistler’ published that I am one of the 12 senators who have served a notice to the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, indicating interest in leaving our party, the All Progressives Congress,” he explained (APC).
“I was never present at any meeting where such matters were discussed.” I’ve never discussed it with anyone. I am still a member of the APC and will continue to support our presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in the hope that we will win elections in 2023.”
He, however, stated that he would not abandon the APC for any opposition party due to the whims and caprices of some APC chieftains in Katsina State, whom he described as anti-democratic elements.
Despite efforts by state APC bigwigs to derail his political career, the senator said he would back state governorship candidate Dr. Dikko Umar Radda and other party candidates from within and outside the state to win the upcoming general election.
“What happened to me during our primaries was not an atomic secret,” he says, “because it was on YouTube and all over the internet.” Some thugs hired by my opponent barred me from even entering the primary venue.”
He reiterated that he had dedicated his political life to accomplishing what had been accomplished, emphasizing that his heart was more for the people and focused on leaving a positive historical legacy rather than engaging in destructive pettiness.
Mandiya, widely regarded as Katsina State’s best performing senator in terms of democratic dividends, stated that he would continue to bring more development projects to the doorsteps of his constituents.
