Again, Defection Wave Hits Enugu PDP As Over 1000 Members Declare For APC

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria, News From The State, Politics Thursday, June 15th, 2017

From Ignatius Okpara, Enugu Nigeria

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Membership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Enugu state got decimated further on Wednesday, as about 1000 of its members, including some chieftains in Egede, Udi Council area of the state, defected to the ruling All progressive Congress, APC.

Among the defectors were 300 women, a professor, Mr. Martin Ikemuonso, as well as a woman leader, Mrs. Mourene Anosike and Chief Benson Agu, who was a former ward chairman of the PDP.

Speaking at the event which took place at Egede, Umuoka ward, Udi council area, the immediate past governor of Enugu state Barrister , Sullivan Chime advised aspirants desiring to contest future elections in the state to do so under the platform of the APC.

He insisted that their former party, the PDP was dead and buried, adding that it has become obvious that the umbrella symbol party will not contest next elections in the state, because it has gone comatose.

African Examiner recalled that Chime recently dumped the PDP for the ruling APC under which platform he served as governor between 2007 to 2015.

Chime told the crowd of supporters, that “APC is a young party coming at a time PDP was dying. Some former members of PDP joined hands in forming APC, and it is waxing stronger.

“To demonstrate its seriousness it took power just one year in existence; that is why we came out to identify with APC, a party that when you belong to, your body and soul will be at rest.

“PDP will not contest election next time, we feel aggrieved that PDP died so we’ll guard APC jealously,” he said.

In his remarks, chairman of APC in Enugu state, Dr. Ben Nwoye, who had earlier supervised the registration of the new members, urged people of the state to join the winning team at the centre in order to enjoy more dividends of democracy.

He boasted that with the influx of former PDP members into APC, the party will take over Enugu state in 2019.

Nwoye, said APC is party for the progressives and like minds, stressing that it is poised towards rewriting the political history of Enugu state and Nigeria at large.

The ceremony was graced by principal officers of the state APC, some former Commissioners in the state that served under Chime’s administration as well as the vice chairman of APC in Enugu West senatorial district, Engr. I. K. Omenuko, who said that APC has put in place formidable structure across the state that will enable it win elections in 2019.