ABIA: APGA members defect to PDP

There was a major political exodus in Abia State on Monday when no less than 3,000 chieftains of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) jumped ship to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

Reports say some of the members who defected included House of Assembly candidate for Umuahia North constituency of Abia state in the last election, Chief Chukwuemeka Utah.

House of Assembly candidate, Umuahia central state constituency, Mr. Mba Ndubuisi, was spotted on Wednesday at the inauguration of the 7th Abia state House of Assembly.

Many of them who had defected before the inauguration were spotted wearing caps bearing the picture of the new speaker of the State Assembly and a chieftain of the PDP, Rt. Hon. Chinedum Orji.

One of the former APGA members, Utah, who defected to the PDP when fielding questions from journalists confirmed that he defected to the ruling PDP in the state with three thousand APGA members and supporters.

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Utah explained that he and others dumped APGA due to the factional crisis that had already threatened the unity of the party in the state and the country at large, claiming that the illegalities and corrupt practices perpetrated under the leadership of Oye during the APGA primaries had demarketed the party.

He said, “I have left APGA, because of the myriads of problems that have divided the party and its structures in Abia. You are aware of what transpired in APGA prior to the 2019 general elections. The national leadership of the party failed to conduct transparent primaries.

“Oye-led NWC milked many of the APGA aspirants, which led the party having two candidates jostling for the same constituency seat in Abia particularly. Majority of APGA leaders and stakeholders had demanded that the national chairman should step aside in order for them to reposition the party for ahead of future elections.

“But, as far as I’m concerned, Oye and Abia leadership-led Reverend Augustine Ehiemere have destroyed APGA.”

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