NO fewer than 11,000 members of the governing All Progressives Congress in the Funakaye Local Government have defected to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.

But the APC has mocked them, saying they defected because they felt they could not secure tickets in 2023.

Speaking on Saturday during the reception, a PDP chieftain, Abubakar Abubakar, assured them that the issues they faced in APC would not occur in their new party.

Abubakar, who was a former member of the House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011, noted that the defectors joined the PDP on account of their neglect by the APC after working for its victory in the 2019 election.

According to him, “I was once an APC card-carrying member but I deserted it due to lack of organisation and non-performance of the state Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya.”

Abubakar further alleged that the governor had not carried along politicians who were instrumental to his victory.

Reacting to the defection, Gombe APC Publicity Relations Officer, Moses Kyari, said the defectors dumped the party for personal reasons.

“They think they could not secure tickets in 2023, hence they opted for the PDP,” he said