Seven Nigerian state governors elected as members of the ruling People’s Democratic Partyjoined the All Progressives Congress today, a spokesman for the opposition party said.
The seven governors are Rabiu Kwakwanso (Kano); Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto); Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers); Sule Lamido (Jigawa); Babangida Aliyu (Niger); Abdulfatai Ahmed (Kwara); and Murtala Nyako (Adamawa).
“The leadership of the New PDP have agreed to merge with the APC,” said Lai Mohammed, spokesman for the APC, in a telephone interview in the capital, Abuja.
The governors, who quit President Goodluck Jonathan’s PDP earlier this year to form a splinter faction, are joining an alliance that emerged from the merger of the four of Nigeria’s biggest opposition parties.
With the defection, the PDP is left in control of 16 of the country’s 36 states while APC has 17 states, giving the opposition the best chance to beat the party in power since Africa’s biggest oil producer ended military rule in 1999. General elections are scheduled for 2015. Jonathan, 56, has not said whether he plans to stand.
[Bloomberg]