Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro on Thursday criticized those who defected from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Moro said those PDP members who defected to APC have their sins forgiven.

Lately, there has been a gale of defections from the PDP to the ruling APC.

Opening the floodgate was the former PDP presidential running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa and Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta.

Also, all members of the PDP in the House of Representatives from Delta State defected to the APC.

In the same vein, three PDP senators from Kebbi State defected to the APC.

Reacting, Moro, the Benue South senator, said soon people would know the reason for the mass defections from PDP to APC.

In an interview with AIT Focus Nigeria, Moro said: “When history unfolds, we are going to have the privilege of knowing the main reasons why people are moving from PDP to the ruling party.

“It has always been the practice though, people don’t want to stay outside the corridors of power and so they quickly begin to realize that in the opposition, they won’t be getting as much as they want to get.

“Some of them who have been helmsmen at their various levels in the states, LGs, and Senate certainly have more reasons than Mets the eyes to moving to the ruling party.

“Don’t forget that a chieftain of the APC at one point said, if you move from your party to the APC, your sins are forgiven – so given the antecedents of some of the characters that are moving now – you can only conclude that they are only attesting to this assertions.

“They have sins and are looking for forgiveness, politically, these displaced persons may be going to the ruling party to ask for forgiveness, but is it in the interest of this country? Is it in the interest of democracy? Is it in the interest of the political development of this country that people continue to move from one political platform to the other?

“Where have principles taken flight to? Where has value taken flight to? You were elected on the platform of a political party and as the Supreme Court ruled, its political parties that people vote for, then you suddenly decide that you want to move to another political party which is predicated on the nebulous excuse that you are doing that in the interest of your constituency.”

The Peoples Democratic Party Imo State chapter has criticized the decision of the Hope Uzodimma-led administration to spend a whopping sum of N2.1bn on Muslim pilgrimage and hosting a party in celebration of airlifting of the pilgrims.

The party described the gesture as a wasteful venture, especially considering the worsening security challenges and economic hardship occasioned by spiraling inflation in the country.

This was contained in a statement released by its spokesman, Lancelot Obiaku, in Owerri, the State capital on Monday.

Obiaku stated that though PDP is not opposed to religious inclusion, there was no justification whatsoever for the government to squander over N2.1 billion of taxpayers’ money on such a programme for only 315 individuals, and organized an extravagant party to play host to the Vice President Senator KashimShettima, merely for the airlifting of the pilgrims going for Hajj.

He lamented that, it was more worrying and disturbing given that the event took place a day after armed assailants laid siege on Umuna and Okigwe communities in Onuimo LGA, killing at least 20 people, kidnapping others and setting over 22 vehicles ablaze, wondering why Uzodimma had not bothered at the level of mayhem and destructionin the state.

He accused Uzodimma of gross incompetence and demanded for his resignation.

The statement reads in part; “We completely condemn the fact that Governor Uzodimma often acts as though he is not an Imolite, consistently reluctant to offer leadership or express empathy over the harrowing challenges of insecurity, poverty, and lack of basic amenities confronting the people of Imo State.

“The menace of suspected Fulani terrorists in NgorOkpala should ordinarily have spurred the Governor into swift action, as the bloodthirsty criminals have turned the area into their stronghold.

“This adds to the grim narratives emerging from Okigwe, Orsu, Njaba, Onuimo, Oru West, and Orlu LGAs, where criminal elements have taken control of communities and continue to unleash terror on innocent citizens.

“Imo cannot continue to endure an incompetent governor and a detached government that show no concern for the plight of its citizens. The Imo PDP therefore calls on ndi Imo to unite in holding this administration fully accountable during this critical period in our state’s history”.

A Kano State High Court on Tuesday dismissed the application filed by the former Governor of the state and current national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear their case of alleged bribery and misappropriation.

Recall that the Kano State Government instituted an 11-count charge bordering on bribery, conspiracy, misappropriation and diversion of public funds amounting to billions of Naira against Ganduje, and his wife Hafsat Umar.

Others charged alongside the former Kano Governor are Abubakar Bawuro, Umar Abdullahi Umar, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Limited, Safari Textiles Limited, and Lasage General Enterprises Limited.

Justice Amina Adamu-Aliyu, in her ruling on Tuesday struck out the defendants’ preliminary objections, describing them as incompetent and citing relevant legal authorities.

Adamu-Aliyu held that the charges filed on May 13, 2024, against the defendants were competent to be tried.

The judge ruled that the case should proceed to trial in the absence of Ganduje and six others standing trial.

She also issued a summon to the sixth defendant, Lamash Properties Limited, and adjourned the matter until July 30 and July 31, 2025 for hearing.