Defections: God Will Fish Out Bad Eggs Among Us, Buhari Tells Supporters

President Muhammadu Buhari has urged his supporters not to be worried about the defections from the All Progressives Congress, as he expects God to fish out the hypocrites and dishonest people “among us”.

The President said this on Thursday in Bauchi at a campaign rally for Gumau Lawal Yahaya, the APC candidate in the Bauchi South senatorial District bye-election, scheduled to take place on August 11.

“God will continue to fish out the bad eggs among us,” the President was quoted as saying in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina.

President Buhari who is seeking re-election in 2019 assured APC supporters in Bauchi that his administration and the party had not forgotten their campaign promises and that they were working to surpass the promises.

He said, “The work we are doing is because of God, our country and you. I want to inform you that the knowledge we have garnered over the years, we won’t allow you to be cheated.

“Like we promised, what will determine a good future for the country are security, strong economy and to stop corruption.

“We campaigned on these things, you voted for us and we will never forget.”

After more than three years in office, the President and the APC have come under criticism for their performance, especially with regards to the handling of killings in the country.

But President Buhari urged the people to trust his administration as it was working in their interest.

“I want you to trust us in what our administration is trying to achieve. All we are doing is because of God, because of the nation and you,” he said.

The President endorsed the APC candidate for the senatorial bye-election in company with the National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole, and the governors of Bauchi, Plateau, Kano and Imo states.

“We urge you to vote Yahaya, we support him and we believe he will deliver,” he said.

Defections

The APC has been hit with defections since July 24 when almost 50 lawmakers in the National Assembly defected from the party to the Peoples Democratic Party and the African Democratic Congress.

A day later, Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom dumped the APC for the PDP with 13 of 23 local government area chairmen following him three days later.

Two more governors, Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara and Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto as well as Senate President Bukola Saraki and Bolaji Abdullahi who was the National Publicity Secretary of the APC have also defected to the PDP since then.

Also, 23 out of 24 members of the Kwara State House of Assembly also defected from the APC to the PDP on Wednesday.

A former deputy governor of Niger State Mr Ahmed Ibeto also resigned as Nigeria’s Ambassador to South Africa and defected to the PDP.

While the PDP has celebrated the defections, the Presidency and the APC have waved them off.

On Sunday, during an interactive session with the Nigerian community at the Nigerian Embassy in Lome, the Togolese capital, President Buhari had said he was not worried about the defections.

“I am not bothered about the defections,” the President said, adding that, “Ordinary Nigerians have developed confidence in us and are defending us. I assure you, the majority of Nigerians back home are appreciative of our efforts.”