Abia: Over 40,000 PDP Members Set To Dump Party For APC Over bad leadership

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News From The State Saturday, August 22nd, 2015

By IGNATIUS OKPARA. Umuahia – The protracted crisis bedeviling the People’s Democratic Party PDP, Abia state chapter has escalated as over 40,000 of her members, have concluded plans to defect to the opposition All Progressives Congress APC in the state.

The aggrieved members of the party, said Friday in Umuahia, that they are moving to APC because of the alleged bad leadership style of those piloting PDP’s affairs, both at the state and national levels.

It would be recalled that an influential chieftain of the party in the state, and leader of a group under the banner of “Concern Abians for Good Governance”, Chief Tony Ukansanya, had recently promised the National Chairman of APC, John Odigie-Oyegun of their planned movement during a meeting in Umuahia, the Abia state capital.

Our Correspondent gathered that during the Umuahia meeting, Oyegun, who was represented by a national officer of APC from Anambra state, Chief George Moghalu, was informed by Ukasanya, that the group is considering their request that they join the party in the state so as to help the party win election in 2019.

Addressing APC leaders, Ukansanya said that the group was formed to checkmate the excesses being exhibited by the leadership of the PDP in the state.

According to him, Abia state, since inception of the ongoing civil rule in 1999, had been under bad leadership exhibited by the PDP

He added “the time has come for the people to speak out on who becomes their governor.

Ukasanya said, “We are prepared to take the bold step to salvage the state from the stranglehold of those who have been holding it down for years.

“I want to let you know that we worked for the APGA governorship candidate in the last election, Dr Alex Otti, whose mandate was stolen.

While receiving the group, Abia state chairman of APC, Donatus Nwankpa, had assured them that they will be given a level playing ground to work with other members of the party, saying the party believes in internal democracy and rule of law.