From: Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo
Sen. Bashir Marafa of Taraba Central senatorial District, who lost the seat at the Supreme Court to the present Senator representing Taraba Central in the National Assembly to Sen. Yusuf Abubakar, has decamped from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) in Taraba State.
While presenting his letter of intent to join the party to the State acting chairman of the APC, Alh. Sani Chul, Marafa promised his full loyalty, support and cooperation to the party.
He said that his decision move from the PDP to the APC was as a result of good governance exhibited by President Muhammadu Buhari, and the prevalence of integrity and justice in the party ranks.
He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for the Mambila Plateau hydro-power project in Sardauna LGA of Taraba State which is his hometown, describing the gesture as a great development not only for the local government, the state but Nigeria at large that would improve the social economic development of the country.
He urged Nigerians in to live in peace irrespective of their differences, saying that without peace there could be no development in any society and prayed for the unity of the nation.
Taraba State APC Ag. Chairman, Alh. Sani Chul, in his response, said Marafa’s coming into the party was long overdue and promised to carry him and his supporters along as one family, saying that the coming of Sen.. Marafa to is a great achievement to the Party not only in the state but Nigeria at large.
Chul explained that a date would be communicated to him for an official ceremony of his defection and prayed for the party’s success in 2019 general elections.
Marafa’s defection from the PDP is one of the high profiles defections the party has suffered this year with the former acting governor of the state Alhaji Garba Umar and his supporters making the list earlier.
The state chairman of the PDP Mr. Victor Bala has however dismissed any insinuations that the wave of defection would affect the party ahead of the 2019 governorship election in the state.
Bala noted that most of the people defecting are merely big names without political relevance.