President Goodluck Jonathan welcomed the former Governor of Sokoto state, Attahiru Bafarawa to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party in Sokoto on Saturday.
Bafarawa defected alongside many of his supporters to the PDP, leaving the main opposition party, All Progressives Congress.
Speaking at the reception held in honour of the defectors, President Jonathan said the PDP was now positioned to win the elections in the State come 2015.
The President said, “We want to use Sokoto as an example to show all others that PDP is still the major party in this country. We are going round after this rally in Sokoto state. Next Saturday, we will be going to Imo State. The other week, we will go to Kano State. We may also go to other states, but the national committee is also working out our zone rallies.
“We want to go round the country, all the zones and to tell Nigerians that PDP is still the number one party. And we want to do this before we start election because from the middle of this year, people will begin to become aspirants, because PDP has not turned to anybody,” he added.
He added that the PDP was the only party that can bring stability whilst obeying the rule of law and developing the country. He added that the ruling party had no aspirant as of yet but that it would continue to be the ruling party in Nigeria.
In his remarks, Bafarawa said, “Mr. President, as far as Sokoto is concerned, just go and sleep. You don’t have no problem.
“We have been winning elections in the past; but we were rigged out. But now, that we are in PDP, there is no party that will win even a councilor sit in Sokoto.
“You are not the first victim of betrayal, noting that Wamakko betrayed me, I brought all of them into politics”, he stressed, assuring that elective positions will go to PDP.”