Matawalle Defection: APC Is An Unprincipled Party – Sagay

Prominent Nigerian lawyer, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN) has described the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as a highly unprincipled party.

The Chair­man of the Presidential Ad­visory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC) said this on Monday while reacting to the planned defection of Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC.

Recall that Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State and Ben Ayade of Cross Rivers have already defected from the PDP to APC, while Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara will be formally received into the ruling party today (Tuesday).

Speaking exclusively with Daily Independent, Sagay said slammed the APC for allowing governors elected on the platform of the PDP into its fold.

Sagay opined that PDP gover­nors who are defecting to the APC are highly unprincipled people and opportunists who want to remain relevant at all cost.

He added that the action of the party leadership has greatly embarrassed him as one of its members.

The lawyer also blasted the National Caretaker Committee Chairman of the APC, Gover­nor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State, who, he said, has failed to carry out his role to organ­ise a national convention for the APC.

He said: “On the issue of defections, I am extremely dismayed and troubled by that. I am also very displeased with the APC for ac­cepting all these people. These are opportunists who want to use the chance of joining APC to continue to remain in power and remain relevant.

“They are totally unprin­cipled people and the APC it­self is a highly unprincipled party for accepting people like that. Why should a gov­ernor who has contested and won election as a PDP man, why should we allow him to cross over to APC? That is an affront on the majority of vot­ers who voted for him. For me, it is a very bad situation and it is not good for the image of the APC.

“On each occasion, oppor­tunism will carry the day, the people who have gone out to cast their votes will be terribly disappointed with such devel­opments.

“I am particularly disap­pointed in the Yobe governor, Mai Mala Buni, who is the APC caretaker chairman. He was put there to organise a convention. Up till now, he has not succeeded. Instead, he is going about buying PDP peo­ple to join APC. That to me, is unprincipled and it is embar­rassing to me as a supporter of APC”.