Mass defection hits Benue APC

A few days after some members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Agatu and Kwande Local Government Areas of Benue State defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), more defections have hit the APC as another set of defectors dumped the ruling party.

The new set of defectors, largely from Ushongo LGA, on Saturday, followed suit in moving to the main opposition party in solidarity with Governor Samuel Ortom who had called on members of other parties in the state to decamp to the PDP.

While receiving the throng of defectors from the APC and other parties to the PDP at the Government House in Makurdi, Ortom said the mass defections were as a result of the failure of the APC led Federal Government in the protection of the lives and properties of the people of the state as well as the administration’s apathy to the plight of the people.

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In a statement on Sunday made available to Ripples Nigeria by the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the governor, Terver Akase, Ortom said he was happy that the people had decided to dump the “fumbling and ineffective” APC, considering “all the attacks and killings by armed herdsmen that the state had witnessed, without genuine efforts by the federal government to tackle the challenge and also intervene in IDPs situation in the state.”

He added that the defections also showed that “any Benue political party member still in the APC should check him or herself as the party at the center does not hold any future for them, and for Nigerians in general.”

“As you can see, this is not the first time we will be receiving defectors from the APC and other parties. Is it not a clear indication that the APC at all levels, have failed the people of Benue and Nigerians in general? I welcome you with an open mind and I assure you that this administration will do everything possible to make your lives and that of your children better,” the statement added.

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