An All Progressives Congress (APC) Chieftain in Gombe, Mr Umar Bamusa, says the reforms by National Chairman of the party, Mr Adams Oshiomhole, will give the party victory in 2019.

Bamusa said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Gombe.

He said that APC leadership at the national level was rebuilding the party to uphold its integrity, and insisted that the measure would lead the party to victory in the general elections.

According to him, those defecting to other political parties are doing so for their selfish ambitions which they fear would be difficult to achieve under Oshiomhole’s leadership.

Bamusa said that the impunity that had existed prior to Oshiomhole’s arrival would have made APC’s outing in the elections catastrophic.

“The Comrade is rebuilding and repositioning the party ahead of the 2019 elections and now the result is what we are having as defections. I commend him for the reforms.

“He is restructuring the party to sustain its integrity that some of these defectors had undermined in the past. It is this restructuring that is making some of them to defect.

“ If the impunity that had been condoned prior to the comrade’s arrival was allowed to continue, it would have spelt doom for the party in 2019. Few persons cannot hold the party to ransom.

“This reformation and rebuilding of the party will increase our chances of victory in 2019. Already the greedy ones are leaving so those of us that would remain are here for the needs of the people,’’ he said.

The party stalwart said that the confidence of APC members, especially at the grassroots, had been boosted with the arrival of the new leadership at national level.

“Those that took APC for granted by using it to gain power now know that the road to illegalities has been shut. Many of the politicians in APC used President Buhari’s change to get into power.

“Why are the defectors changing party few days after Oshiomhole took over the leadership of the party? They knew that there was no hiding place anymore so they jumped off the wagon,’’ he said.

Bamusa appealed to the leadership of the party not to accede to selfish demands by those who wanted to defect.