By Ugochukwu Alaribe

ABA- Over 500 members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Abia state have defected to the All Progressives  Congress, APC, Party in the state.

Those who defected include former Minority leader, Abia state House of Assembly, Hon. Humphrey Azubuike; Major Gen. Ogbonna Okoro (rtd); former Transition Committee Chairman, Bende council, Hon Ben Kalu;  former member of Abia State House of Assembly, Hon Chidi Nwosu; Chief Uche Akwukwaegbu, among others.

Speaking on behalf of other defectors, Chief Akwukwaegbu who spoke at a stakeholders’ meeting of the party in Umuahia, said they decided to leave PDP for the APC because the party has failed Abia people.

According to him, “We sympathize with Abians, we regret being party to the mess they’ve been through particularly in the past 9 years and that is why we have come today to apologize to them.”

“We believe in the masses and insist that the right things must be done. The immediate past government in the state was horrible and terrible; this present government should be independent of itself and work towards tidying up the arrears of workers salary.”

“This is why we have abandoned PDP to join APC, the moving train. All of us have joined the APC with 1000 supporters from the PDP. With this, only the carcass of the PDP remains in Abia. In 2019, Abia will be delivered to the APC.”

Receiving the former PDP members, State chairman of APC, Hon. Donatus Nwankpa expressed delight at the number of eminent persons who have joined the party, stressing that with the caliber of people in the APC fold, the party will win the 2019 general election in the state.