Three members of the All Progressives Congress in the House of Representatives have dumped the party for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after meeting PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

The meeting happened in Sokoto on Sunday night.

According to Premium Times, Atiku’s meeting with the lawmakers was confirmed by two top aides of an ex-secretary to the Government of Katsina State, Mustapha Inuwa.

The lawmakers, who dumped APC, are Hamza Dalhatu (Rimi/Charanci/Batagarawa constituency), Salisu Iro (Katsina constituency) and Ahmad Dayyabu (Danmusa/Batsari/Safana constituency).

Two businessmen, owners of NAK Enterprises, Bilyaminu Funtua and Kabir Kabir–Bilya, who were also prominent members of the APC also dumped the party.

The three lawmakers had failed in their bid to secure a return ticket to the National Assembly in the primary of APC.

One of the aides who spoke on condition of anonymity said the lawmakers had threatened to leave APC but needed to meet Atiku before taking the decision.

He said, “You know we had leadership issues in the party (PDP) in Katsina state. They (legislators) wanted to decamp but were not sure of how they would be received but when Oga (Mr Inuwa) convinced them, they asked to be given assurance they would be accorded the same respect as other party members.

“Immediately after our rally in Charanci, he (Mr Inuwa) reached out to Atiku and a decision was taken to take the decampees to Sokoto. They are with us here and will go to Zamfara today (Monday) for the presidential rally.”

While Messrs Dayyabu and Iro are yet to announce their exit from APC, Dalhat in a letter addressed to his Batagarawa Ward “A” party chairman announced his exit from the APC.