2023: Ex-Niger deputy gov, Ibeto dumps APC for PDP

Former Deputy Governor of Niger State and a Member, Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), Ahmed Musa Ibeto has dumped the All Progressives Congress, APC, for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state.

Ibeto, who doubled as Assistant Secretary of the North Central Directorate of Mobilization of the Campaign Council in a letter he personally signed and made available to journalists in Minna, alleged lack of unity of purpose among party members and stakeholders.

The four-paragraph letter addressed to the Chairman APC, Ibeto Central Ward, Magama Local Government, Niger State, Ibeto a former Former Nigeria Ambassador to South Africa, explained that he is not only leaving the party, but resigning his membership of the APC presidential campaign council and Secretary of the North Central Directorate of Mobilization of the Tinubu/Shettima campaign Council.

It reads “Mr. Chairman, with my many years of active participation in politics, and as a former party administrator, an elected official into many political offices, both state and national, I have come to this conclusion for many reasons, chiefly among which are the absence of unity of purpose among party members and stakeholders occasioned by conflicts, unending litigations, internal threats and counter threats of anti-party activities.

“Lack of genuine reconciliation coupled with lack of commitments and dedications to the success of the party by many stakeholders for these obvious reasons, I concluded that I can not continue to be a member of the party.”

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However, efforts to get reaction from the state party Chairman, Alhaji Haliru Zakeri Jikantoro failed as he could not be reached as at the time of filing this report.

A Chieftain of the party and former Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism in the state, Mr. Jonathan Vatsa confirmed the development, adding that every political party in the country has their challenges.

Recall in 2015, Ibeto, as a sitting Deputy Governor, defected from the PDP after he lost the party’s governorship ticket to the APC, and thereafter, was appointed Nigerian Ambassador to South Africa by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2016.

Also, in a response , the PDP in Niger State in a statement signed by the Director Communications, PDP Campaign Council, Usman Yahaya Mohammed stated that its door is wide open for Ibeto to join in winning the state back to the PDP.