Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, the former Governor of Kaduna State, has officially joined the All Progressives Congress (APC), marking a notable shift in the state’s political landscape. This move comes five months after Yero parted ways with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), under which he served as governor from 2012 to 2015 before being defeated by Nasir El-Rufai in the 2015 state elections.
Discussing his decision, Yero stated, “Since the very day we announced our defection from PDP, many political parties contacted us, including the ruling APC. We met and discussed since the very day we left our former party. Therefore, from today, being 12 February 2024, myself and representatives of other political associates have decided to join APC. After our decision, we met with the state governor and had a discussion with him. We told him that we accepted to join the party based on the invitation we received.”
He also encouraged his supporters to follow him to the APC, emphasizing the opportunity to contribute to the state and the country’s progress.
The reaction from the PDP was measured, with Kaduna State PDP Secretary Ibrahim Wosono expressing no surprise at Yero’s defection. Wosono emphasized the resilience of the PDP, noting that the party’s fortunes do not hinge on any single individual. He remarked, “He has the right specifically to defect from any party to another party, but if he can remember, he has been a commissioner under PDP platform, he has been a deputy governor under PDP, and also he has been a governor under PDP. The APC he has joined now is the same party that defeated him in the 2015 general election, and it’s the APC that took him to court and even to jail.”
Wosono highlighted the ongoing legal challenges Yero faces with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), linking them to his new political home, the APC. Yet, he remained confident about the PDP’s resilience and prospects in upcoming elections, citing the departure of other high-profile figures in the past without detrimental effects on the party.
“As a former governor, he has his own followers, but I will say that the fortune of PDP doesn’t rely on somebody’s hand. If you could remember, PDP has a history; Obasanjo left PDP, Atiku once left PDP, a lot of governors left PDP, and the party is still alive and strong. So the defection of Ramalan Yero, I don’t think will affect the fortune of PDP in the next coming election by God’s grace,” Wosono concluded.