Saraki’s Defection Will Not Stop Buhari in 2019- Ndume

A member of the National Assembly, Sen. Mohammed Ndume, says the defection of President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki, from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is no big deal.

Ndume made this known in an interview with newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday.

He said though Saraki had a level of follower ship, particularly in Kwara, his defection would not in any way prevent President Muhammadu Buhari from winning.

“Saraki’s defection was long expected. It is not new and it is not a big deal.

“His movement will not affect the fortune of the President, lawmakers and any politician for that matter. Our fortunes is in the hands of God and not man.

“I remember a former Vice President in PDP who decamped to another party to pursue his political interest, so it is not new.

“It is not that Saraki is not relevant but I do not think anybody is indispensable.

“The defection will not affect APC’s victory in any way because most of the people have claimed that they are being forced out.

“If they are forced out it means they are not truly indispensable,” Ndume said.

On the spate of defection from the ruling party across the country, he said it would not affect the President’s chance of winning in 2019.

“We all know that President Muhammadu Buhari as a candidate is a big factor, to the extent that most of us need him more than he needs us.

“So if we move from one party to another without Buhari in the calculation, the tendency is that we stand to lose.

“Saraki no doubt is an important factor but where, in Kwara and even in Kwara you cannot say that Saraki can make Buhari lose election.

“For other seats I cannot bet but I can bet that Saraki cannot determine the electoral fortune of Buhari.

“For others who are leaving especially those in the core North. They need Buhari more than he needs them.

“Many of us won election because he added value to our electoral fortune,” he said.

The lawmaker stressed that the APC was not perturbed in view of the fact that there would also be defections from other parties to the party.

While admitting that the defection to other parties would deplete the number of legislatures in ruling party, he said it would not cause collateral damage.

“When you talk of those who defected to APC in 2014, I was one of them and I am still in APC, same for others like Abdullahi Adamu and Adamu Aliero are still in the party. I can keep listing their names,” Ndume said.

He said the APC is still in the majority in the Senate in spite Saraki’s defection.

“The APC is in the majority,’’ Ndume said.