2019: Nigeria’s ambassador to South Africa resigns, defects from APC to PDP

Nigeria’s ambassador to South Africa, Amb. Ahmed Ibeto has tendered his resignation letter.

He also renounced his membership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and crossed over to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Ibeto was reported to have arrived Nigeria from Pretoria on Sunday and on Monday morning, he handed over his letter of resignation at the Ministry of External Affairs.

However, it could not be confirmed if the envoy saw President Muhammadu Buhari before returning to Minna on Monday evening.

Ibeto was a deputy governor of Niger State on the platform of PDP.

Checks revealed on Tuesday that Ibeto has left Minna for his hometown of Ibeto in Magama Local Government Area of the state.

According to sources, the former deputy governor was received by over 1,000 supporters on his way to Ibeto.

It was gathered that while in Ibeto, the ex-ambassador would first resign his membership of the APC and assume PDP membership.

A source close to the former deputy governor confirmed that the former envoy will join the state governorship race immediately he registered with PDP.

It could be recalled that former Ambassador was a member of the PDP until the primary election of the party in November 2014, during which he lost the governorship ticket to Umar Nasko, a former Chief of Staff to ex-governor Babangida Aliyu.

He resigned his membership of the PDP along with thousands of his supporters after complaining about “the injustice” melted to him by the then ruling party.

He was appointed an ambassador and posted to South Africa by President Muhammed Buhari in 2017.