Muhammad-Lawal Kurya,the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the recently concluded by-election for the Kaura Namoda South Constituency by-election has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
By Ishaq Zaki
Muhammad-Lawal Kurya,the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the recently concluded by-election for the Kaura Namoda South Constituency by-election has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Kurya announced his defection in Gusau on Saturday at the stakeholders consultation meeting for Zamfara Central organised by a popular APC group, ‘Yazeed Project’.
Kurya, a former PDP candidate who contested in the recently concluded State House of Assembly by-election was defeated by the APC candidate, Kamilu Sa’idu.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting was organised to woo Hon. Yazeed Danfulani to contest for the Zamfara Central Senatorial District in the 2027 General Elections.
The meeting was attended by 550 members comprising youths, women, social media handlers, elders and community leaders, among others, all of them from Zamfara central senatorial district.
Kurya said he defected from PDP to APC because of negligence from the PDP leadership in the state.
“I have so many personal and political reasons that necessitated me to defect from to PDP to APC, among them, negligence.
“Since when I lost the by-election, the party leadership and top government officials of Zamfara neglected me, in fact, most of them blocked my access to them.
“I think as a politician with a large number of followers, I have to change my political movement to a party that is ready to carry me,” he said.
According to him, another major reason was that he had suffered from PDP over the years.
Kurya said, ” I have been working for the party since during the 2023 general elections but there was no any reward.
“Today, I decided to join the APC considering the popularity of the party in the just-concluded by-election that I contested under the PDP.
“The APC has massive supporters from my constituency, all the records and results of the APC during the by-election were true.
“Our election was free as well as fair and honestly, I was defeated by the APC candidate, Kamilu Sa’idu.
“Therefore, I decided to join the APC considering its popularity, good leadership and it is a party with grassroots structure across the state.”
According to him, with the leadership of the party under the Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Matawalle, Sen. Abdul’aziz Yari and the state APC Chairman, Hon Tukur Danfulani, the party would continue to grow from strength to strength.
“I have the confidence that the APC will not neglect me the way PDP did to me after I have spent a lot from my pocket for the party’s victory in the 2023 governorship election in the state”, Kurya added.
Receiving the former PDP candidate to the APC, the State APC Chairman, Tukur Danfulani, represented by the State Publicity Secretary, Malam Yusuf Idris, described the development as a great achievement for the APC.