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Oldest PDP member in Sokoto, Mukhtar Shagari, defects to APC 

After 25 years without wavering, the only top surviving member of the People’s Democratic Party PDP in Sokoto state and former Minister of water resources, Barrister Mukhtar Shehu Shagari, has dumped the party for the All progressives Congress APC.

Shagari who was a former Minister of water resources in the administration of ex president Olusegun Obasanjo, received an APC membership card from the hands of the party secretary, Abubakar Yabo in company with other state APC executives.

Shagari the longest serving Minister of water resources in the cabinet of former president Obasanjo was a founding member of the People’s Democratic Party PDP and has been in the party for over 25 until August when he decided to adjust his seat to APC.

Those who care to speak on the former Minister’s recent detection to APC blamed the national body of the party for not being fair and just to Shagari couple with his utmost respect and loyalty to the party leadership.

They argue that, all contemporaries of the former Minister in the PDP have since dumped the party including the former vice president Alhaji Atiku Abubakar who was the PDP 2023 Presidential candidate. He was in ACN and APC before moving back to his former Party to seek Presidential ticket.

The state APC secretary Alhaji Abubakar Yabo confirmed that the former Minister and former Deputy Governor of the state has received his Party membership card which qualifies him as duly registered member of his new party.

The defection of the former Deputy Governor has put a lot of insinuations going round the state that Shagari who is well known for his conservative political ideology will remain in the PDP even if he will be the last man standing.

The Sokoto state leadership of  the PDP while reacting to the defection of the former Minister described the action of the former Deputy Governor as an act of betrayal to the pay made a minister for 6 years and that, the former Minister left the party alone without his followers.

According to the publicity secretary of the party  Alhaji Hassan Sahabi Sanyinnawal, the defection of the former Minister would not in anyway weekend the perty or change anything in the state party structures, as PDP remained the only and most formidable opposition in the state, adding that the Ambassadors of the Party at both state and national Assemblies are the most vibrant and credible representatives of the people of Sokoto state.