Massive Defection Rocks Ebonyi as PDP Heavyweights Join APC

Prominent members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi State have crossed the aisle to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The defection, which occurred at the Abakaliki Local Government Area Headquarters in Nkaliki on Saturday, saw notable figures such as former member representing Abakaliki/Izzi Federal Constituency and gubernatorial aspirant in the 2023 elections, Hon. Sylvester Ogbaga, alongside former Senator Sylvanus Nguji Ngele and other executive members of the PDP, joining the APC ranks.

At the ceremony, Hon. Ogbaga and Senator Ngele cited the PDP’s failure to produce a governor from the Izzi clan as a primary reason for their defection, noting that the APC had fulfilled this expectation in accordance with Ebonyi State’s charter of equity. They praised the leadership of the present administration under Rt. Hon. Francis Nwifuru for its commitment to addressing the needs of the people, citing it as a driving force behind their decision to align with the ruling party.

Welcoming the defectors, key stakeholders and members of the APC, including Chief Matthew Uguru, the APC National Treasurer, Chief Stanley Okoro Emegha, the APC State Chairman, Hon. Stephen Nwogba, the Executive Chairman of Abakaliki L.G.A, Hon. Paulinus Atam, and others, commended their courage and urged them to obtain their membership cards from their respective wards.

This mass defection follows a recent trend in the state, with high-profile PDP members like Hon. Victor Nwoke, representing Abakaliki North in the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, also joining the APC during a visit by the governor’s wife, Mrs. Mary-Maudlin Nwifuru, on April 29th, 2024.