Ex-governor meets with Tinubu, ACN governors today


Former Kogi State Governor Prince Abubakar Audu yesterday said those criticising his defection from the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) have failed.

Audu addressed reporters in Abuja through one of his aides, David Dare Olatunde, in reaction to criticisms that he should not join the ACN.

Describing ACN as the only vibrant opposition party in Nigeria, Audu said Lagos State former governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has transformed the Southwest without joining the Government of National Unity (GNU).

The former governor said he could not stay in ANPP because the party “decided to join President Goodluck Jonathan’s GNU, not considering that it is an opposition party”.

Audu said: “Those criticising my joining ACN have already failed because that is the party to be now. People are tired of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Nigeria. They want to move towards the progressive side of life. If you look at all the political parties in Nigeria now, you will see that it is only the ACN that has the programme that will benefit the masses. All the ACN governors are performing.

“Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a pathfinder. He was able to groom someone like the Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN). Lagos State is a mini-London in Nigeria. Kogi State cannot be left out of this kind of development. We must join them in the progressive side of governance. That is why we are moving into ACN where we know that our dreams will be achieved, which is good governance.”

The former governor said he had been in ANPP since 1999, as one of its founding-fathers, adding that he had remained consistent with the party.

Audu said he was not involved in money politics, a reason he did not defect from ANPP since inception.

He said ANPP national leadership had been informed of his defection to ACN.

The former governor said he defected to ACN because of what was happening in ANPP.

He said: “We at the state level have taken PDP to court over the conduct of the 2011 election, and if at the national level, they want to join the GNU when there is no war in the country, then what do you want us to do? That means we have lost the moral ground to pursue our case to a logical conclusion. We cannot join PDP and be fighting PDP at the tribunal. It would be a lost case.

“Some of those criticisms (against his defection) are from a faceless group. Edo is not a Kogi name. That person is a rented person or sponsored article. Kogi people are waiting to receive ACN.”

A source close to Audu said he is expected to hold a closed-door meeting with Tinubu, other party leaders and ACN governors in Lagos today, to finalise his defection.

The source said: “We are going to Lagos now for the crucial meeting and this is to formalise the defection. Tinubu is happy with the development, and July 11 will be the official declaration in Kogi State. After the official declaration, we will move to the field. It will never be business as usual again.

CAN is a fast moving train, don't get left behind like some losers.