The All Progressives Congress (APC) has revealed that it is planning a massive reception for Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle as he defects from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The Chairman, Publicity Sub-Committee of the organizing ceremony, and Zamfara Commissioner for Information, Alhaji Ibrahim Dosara said no fewer than 18 All Progressives Congress (APC) governors, national and state legislators, as well as other party chieftains, are expected to welcome Matawalle when he officially defects on Tuesday.

Speaking on Monday in Gusau with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Dosara said apart from the Governor, many other politicians and political office holders in Zamfara are expected to announce their defection from the PDP to the APC on Tuesday.

He said: “the Progressive governors will be led by the APC Chairman Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) and Gov. Mai Mala-Buni.

“We are also expecting all our national assembly members as well as state legislators to declare their defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC during the occasion.

“Similarly, all the 14 local government caretaker committee chairmen who just finished their tenure, council members and teeming supporters will join the hundreds of thousands of the Matawalle loyalists, friends and supporters in our movement to our new party, the APC.’’

Also speaking, the Director-General, Press Affairs, to Gov. Mai Mala Buni, Mr Mohammed Mamman, praised the efforts of the Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee under the leadership of the Yobe State Governor, noting that three PDP governors have already joined the APC and others are still expected.

”With Matawalle joining the APC, it means Mala-Buni, as the Chairman of the Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee, has been able to convince three governors into the party.

“They are Dave Umuahi of Ebonyi, Prof. Ben Ayade of Cross River. This is also a confirmation that the APC is doing well both at the national and state levels under the purposeful, focused, and people oriented leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari,’’ Mamman said.

Meanwhile, in a statement on Monday, PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbodiyan, said the opposition party is not bothered about the governor’s defection.

Ologbodiyan the governors and leaders of the party had met with the governor to convince him not to dump the party.

He added that the PDP has exhausted all means of dissuading Matawalle from leaving its fold.

According to Ologbodiyna, the governor is free to determine his political future, adding that the ultimate decision lies with the governor to make.