A massive crowd of supporters of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday came out to welcome the Deputy Governor of Zamfara State, Barr. Mahdi Aliyu Gusau.
Deputy Governor Gusau returned to the state Saturday for the first time since Governor Muhammad Bello Mutawelle defected from Peoples Democratic party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The crowd who came out to welcome him to the state carried placards with inscriptions such as “APC is prohibited for us”, “We remain in PDP”, “With Mahdi, New Zamfara is Possible,” ” Zamfara is PDP , PDP is Zamfara.”
It took commuters several hours to continue with their journey as Tsafe -Funtua road was blocked by the PDP supporters.
Those who accompanied the Deputy Governor included his father, Gen Aliyu Gusau, and PDP caretaker committee members.
Addressing the party faithful in his resident in Gusau, Deputy Governor Gusau enjoined the party faithful to remain calm stressing that the defection of the Governor would not in anyway affect the chances of the party in future elections.
He maintained that as the highest political office holder in the party, he had become the leader of the party in the state.
He further explained that he would do everything possible to reposition the party and solicited the cooperation of every member of the party.
“As you all know the recent political happenings in the state, as the leader of the party I will not relent my effort in rebuilding the party,” he stated.
He commiserated with the people of the state, especially the people of Maradun local government area where gunmen suspected to be bandits killed about 49 people on Thursday.
The Deputy Governor condemned the killing in strong terms, saying the act is barbaric and inhumane.
Speaking with THISDAY, the caretaker committee member of the party and former publicity secretary of the party, Alhaji Faruku Ahmad Gusau, said the large crowd that came out in solidarity with the party showed that PDP was on ground in the state.
Faruku Gusau stated that there was no amount of intimidation that would make them to defect to APC, urging people to watch out and very soon PDP would bounce back in the state.
He dispelled the insinuation that all the state house of assembly members in the state moved to APC with the governor.
