Why I left APC for PDP -Amb. Hassan Jika
By Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo
JALINGO (PRECISE POST) – Former ambassador to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and Pioneer Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Taraba State Alhaji Hassan Ardo Jika on Monday disclose that he left the party to join the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) because the APC has no system to reward party loyalty and hard work.
Alhaji Jika who disclose this in a phone conversation with Daily Sun said that he sacrificed so much time, resources and energy for the growth of the party in the State and yet was treated with disdain both at the State and national level.
He noted that critical decisions in the party are taken without his knowledge and and the party has failed to reward his efforts in nurturing and growing the party to its present stage that it has become the most beautiful bride.
“I won’t say I left the APC. On the contrary, the APC left me. That is just the unfortunate truth. If you remember, we came from the legacy party to form what is called the APC today. In Taraba here, a lot of people simply did not want to be identified with it because the APC was considered a Muslim party.
“It was under these circumstances that I became the first State Chairman of the party. It was very tough. But we never relented. I was almost the sole voice of opposition in the State for nearly a decade. I bore all the threats and punishment the then Governor Ishaku’s administration hauled at me. But we remain steadfast.
“After my tenure, and after so much sacrifices, I expected to be treated with some level of respect and yet nothing. But we didn’t relent. In the last general elections, I was the Chairman of President Tinubu/Shettima campaign mobilisation in the State. We worked tirelessly to mobilise support for the President despite stiff opposition from the PDP.
“And yet all of that did not translate to anything meaningful. No application, just nothing. And then the boat we built became the darling bride and everyone moved on board, the same people who taunted us as a Muslim party and did everything to make sure that the party sinks. They have taken over the party and are running it with no recourse to some of us.
“Nobody considers you fit to even nominate you to be a committee member or for any appointment. Those who openly voted for other parties in the last election are the ones been celebrated. And so the party already left me and when our Governorship candidate in the last election Senator Emmanuel Bwacha approached me to join him in the PDP, I needed no further motivation.
“I joined Bwacha whole heartedly because I’ve seen the sincerity of his ambition. He has the best interest of the State at heart and he recognises the value of party loyalty. He knows that if I could be so loyal and work so hard for the APC under those circumstances, I will do the same in the PDP. That is a vote of confidence and I value that.
“A lot of people assume that since I am a Muslim, I will not want to work for a Christian and I simply show them that I am not a religious bigot. In fact, I am working with a Christian from the same Senatorial zone as the incumbent governor who I have severally complained that he is grossly incompetent. His movement to the APC has not helped in anyway so far because all we still have is unfulfilled and new promises.
“Let me use this opportunity to urge Tarabans to keep religious, tribal and party sentiments aside and chose a candidate that will save this State. Taraba is sinking and sinking very fast. Bwacha is a grassroots politician who knows the State well and has the passion for the State and his vast experience is what we need at this time. Let us work for him to save Taraba for the sake of our children” he concluded.
Our Correspondent recall that the pioneer Chairman of the APC recently detected to the APC and threw his weight behind to Guber Aspirant Senator Emmanuel Bwacha.
