Suleiman Yahaya-Kwande, who served as a two-term member of the House of Representatives, representing Bassa/Jos North Federal constituency of Plateau State, has dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Kwande was among the founding members of the party in 2013 and was an active member of the ‘Change Movement’ during the 2015 election.
He made this announcement in a letter dated July 4, 2022 and addressed to his ward chairman, saying the ruling party has considered him an outcast because he is not within the realm of power.
He also wished the presidential candidate of the APC, Bola Tinubu, well in the 2023 election.
His resignation letter read, “It is with a heavy heart that I write to formally notify you of my decision to resign my membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the recent events has (sic) left me feeling like an outcast and it seems that the party has no regard or use for those outside the corridor of power.
“However, I wish to sincerely state here that I hold no ill feelings, resentment or grudges against anyone or group of individuals. I sincerely appreciate the party Executives at the Ward, Local, State and National level for their support and the opportunity to serve.
“I wish all the APC flag bearers, especially H.E Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda who I both hold in high esteem best of luck ahead of the 2023 general elections.”
Yahaya-Kwande was a member, House of Representatives 7th and 8th Assemblies, Bassa/Jos North Federal Constituency, Plateau State.
In February, Yahaya-Kwande and Aku who resigned as Plateau Commissioner for Commerce and Industry to contest for the seat, claimed victory in the APC primaries for Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency.
The primaries to determine who would fly the party’s flag in the February 26 by-election organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ended without a winner.
“From the results as collated, Suleiman Kwande scored 344 votes while Mr Abe Aku also scored 344 votes. We will relay the outcome to the national secretariat of APC to take the next decision,” the Chairman of APC Electoral Committee for the primaries, Mr Habu Ajiya, had said.
Hence, Yahaya-Kwande expressed disappointment with the outcome of the election, saying that in the first instance, the election started far behind schedule for inexplicable reasons.
“I don’t know how it will be a tie. As far as I am concerned, I won fair and square.
“I know what I was up against, I know the forces that were against me and I was ready for them.
“I entered the election as a free citizen, nobody can coerce me to do what I want to do or do what I don’t want to do.
This made some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Bassa//Jos North federal constituency appeal to the national secretariat of the party, asking it to declare Yahaya-Kwande as the winner of its 1st/2nd February 2022 primary election.
But eventually, the party gave the ticket to Mr Abe Aku.
Meanwhile, the candidate of the PDP, Musa Avia Agah won the bye-election held on Saturday 26, February 2022, having scored 40, 343 to beat the PRP candidate, Muhammad Alkali who scored 37, 757 votes and Abe Aku of the ruling APC scored 26, 111 votes.