The All Progressives Congress, APC, received thousands of decampees in Jos, the Plateau State capital, on Saturday.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, said the massive influx of decampees into the APC shows the wide acceptance of the party among Nigerians, as well as a vindication of the performance of the Renewed Hope Administration.
Akpabio said the president welcomes new members from various parties who will be treated fairly and given the opportunity to contribute to the growth of the APC by delivering the President, and electing the governor, as well as state and National Assembly members.
Also speaking, the National Chairman of the party, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, said, “APC has enough firepower to win emphatically in the next general elections.”
According to him, “The APC will win Plateau governorship and National and State Assembly elections emphatically because our party has united more than ever before.
“We have received decampees from other parties, including those who worked against the APC during the last elections,” he maintained.
He called for more cohesion under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whose Renewed Hope Agenda is transforming Nigeria.
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, also expressed joy that the APC in Plateau State and Nigeria at large is attracting more people of substance from other political parties.
Chairman of the North Central Governors Forum, Engr. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State, said Plateau remains a strong APC state despite not having a Governor, as it has attracted even people from the serving government in the state, a sign that the people believe in the party and its ideals.
In his remarks, leader of the APC in the state, Senator Simon Lalong, described the occasion as a moment of vindication, proving that the APC is resilient even in the face of futile attempts to destroy it.
Earlier, in his welcome address, the State APC Chairman, Rufus Bature, welcomed the decampees and assured them of a level playing field.
Speaking on behalf of the decampees, former Chairman of the APC in the State, Latep Dabang, said they decided to leave the PDP because of deceit, oppression, and the party’s apparent failure to perform.
He said all the decampees from various political parties are happy with President Bola Tinubu and the APC leadership under Nentawe Yilwatda as National Chairman.
Other APC leaders in attendance included the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, and the Governors of Nasarawa and Benue, among others who graced the reception of the decampees.