‘He was paperweight’ — Kaduna PDP says party won’t miss Yero’s exit

Felix Hyat, chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kaduna, has reacted to the exit of Ramalan Yero, a former governor of the state, from the party.

Yero, who was the governor of Kaduna from 2012 to 2015, resigned from the PDP in September.

Speaking with NAN on Sunday, Hyat said PDP won’t miss Yero as he had no support base when he was a member of the party.

Hyat also said the defection of Godfrey Gaiya, a former member of the house of representatives, from the PDP to the All Progressives Congres (APC) won’t affect the party’s strength.

“They were mere paperweights. They had no influence. We are not going to miss any of them,” he said.

“None of them has said that the PDP maltreated him. We did not do anything to offend anyone.

“They came on their own volition. None of them did not get a good share even above their contributions to the party.

“The former governor became a commissioner of finance without being a member of the PDP.

“As a sitting governor, he contested and lost the governorship seat in 2015. He contested for the ticket to seek the seat later but lost the primaries.

“As for Gaiya, he got two terms in the house of representatives and left after losing elections. He came even lower, politically speaking, and sought to be a local government chairman but lost the primaries woefully.

“I am told that he was promised the then vacant Kaduna state ministerial slot if he defected, but it has been taken now. He may have to do another political arithmetic. It is up to him.”

Hyat added that Yero and Gaiya are not “strong politicians” with “any particular support base” in the state.