Saraki’s defection not a big issue, won’t affect Buhari’s re-election -Okorocha

Rochas Okorocha, Imo state governor, says the defection of Senate President Bukola Saraki will not affect the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2019 general election.

The governor said this while speaking with journalists on Tuesday at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.

Okorocha, who is also the chairman of the All Progressives Governor’s Forum, spoke after a closed-door meeting with Adams Oshiomhole, the party’s national chairman.

“I don’t know when they joined the party and I don’t have to know when they are leaving the party,” he said.

“People are entitled to their opinions about how they see issues, political party is just like a vehicle with which you get to your point of destination.

“And if they find out that they can no longer get what they want in APC and they want to go to other parties, it is good luck.

“But the question you should ask me, is how that will affect the APC, I don’t see any way it can affect the party negatively.”

He maintained that President Muhammadu Buhari will win the 2019 presidential election even without the Senate President in the party.

Okorocha said this was especially so because Buhari was much stronger now and would do better than he did before in terms of electoral victory come 2019.

He said the decision of the Senate President to leave the APC was allowed, adding that as he leaves, many more people were finding their way into the party in their thousands.

“It’s neither here nor there, so we shouldn’t make a big issue out of it,” Okorocha said.

“Saraki is entitled to his political opinion and if he wants to leave, good luck to him and if the governor of Kwara, my colleague wants to leave, good luck.

“They are all responsible men and you cannot tie them down to where they don’t want to be.”

Saraki announced his decision to leave the APC for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) late on Tuesday.