The acting chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Gombe State, Ishaya Karu, has said that his party will not accept the governor of the state, Ibrahim Dankwambo, into the APC.
There were reports that Mr. Dankwambo was contemplating a defection to the APC but Mr. Karu told reporters in Gombe on Tuesday that the party had no vacancy for the governor in its fold.
“We are not surprised because the rumour was rife before the election, and if it is still persisting by now, we will still not be surprised. But we have no plans to receive anybody into the party now.
“The party has not been told of any new person coming in. And secondly even if we are told, it’s no longer time to receive defectors by now. We have closed receiving new members a long time ago”, he said.
The acting chairman pointed out that the purported defection is of no value to APC and that it is a ploy to sabotage the litigation against his victory at the tribunal, adding that such move was prejudicial under the law.
“We don’t see any blessing in it. Instead, we see it as a subterfuge to thwart the pending litigation in the court. And under the law, it will be prejudicial for him to take any such step while the case is still in court.
“We are challenging his election in court, let him be there and face the litigation instead of thinking of coming to the party.
“No vacancy for him in the party, at least for now. We can consider him after the Supreme Court judgment if he chooses to go that far because as far as we are concerned, APC has established its case. So let him stay and face it”, he said.
“Our party is a party that operates under a constitution and the constitution stipulates every action that you want to take, including the registration of members, receiving of decampees and others. All these are covered under the party’s constitution”, he stated.
Mr. Karu, therefore, called on supporters and well-wishers of the party in Gombe State to be optimistic in their pending case and also pray for justice to be done to them at the court.
