.Denies them access to govt lodge
By Umaru Abdulai,
Minna
Niger State
Governor Abubakar Sani Bello has shot the door against defectors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who joined the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) and worked for his re-election on the March 9, 2019.
The defectors had gone to the Presidential Lodge, Minna, which serves as the Governors’ residence in company of others to congratulate him after the elections but met stiff resistance from the security men on duty who simply refused them entry.
The security men, who resisted pleas, explained that they were ‘acting on the orders from above’.
Not understand why they should be locked out when other APC members were celebrating their victory after Saturday’s Governorship and State House of Assembly elections, the PDP former members, who prodded further were told by the security men: ‘‘your names are not on the list to see the governor.”
It was gathered that the security men and workers at the Protocol Department, Government House, Minna were given a list names of those that must not be allowed to see the governor, especially those who joined from main opposition party, the PDP.
Meanwhile, one of the affected, Alhaji Abdullahi Yahuza, who was allegedly stopped by the security men from seeing Governor Bello denied the incidence, describing it as ‘‘rumour and the handiwork of mischief makers.’’
Yahuza, who is popularly called Fatsi, said, “They are mischievous makers since my defection from the PDP to APC, there was no day I was denied access to the Governor either in Abuja, in Minna or anywhere”.
According to him, “I had lunch with him, I saw him, even the security men saluted me when I entered the Presidential Lodge. I did not even go alone, I went with Mu’azu Bawa and other members of House of Representatives to meet with him and we all had lunch with him”.
The PDP former strong member who is said to have defected few days to the elections, also spoke to our Correspondent on phone: “We all had lunch together with Governor Bello and we walked together in the Presidential Lodge. Tell the mischievous people that they have failed”. Besides, journalists had been barred from entering the Government House, including those, who identified with the government during the last elections.
