The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has reacted to the defection of Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, who said the governor defected from the party due to personal reasons, added that Nigerians would soon know at the fullness of time why Umahi defected to the APC.
The PDP spokesman stated this in a statement he issued on Tuesday.
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“Our party thanks Governor Umahi for services rendered to the people of Ebonyi State, as the State Chairman of Ebonyi PDP (2003 to 2007); Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State (2007 to 2015) and two-term Governor of Ebonyi (2015 till date), all elected on the platform of the PDP.
“As we wish Governor Umahi all the best in his adventure, we call on the members of our party to remain calm and committed to the ideals of our party as no individual is bigger than the PDP,” Ologbondiyan said.
GNB News recalls that the Ebonyi Governor announced his defection from PDP to APC while addressing journalists in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital on Tuesday, November 17.
Giving reasons for defecting to the APC from PDP, Umahi said: “I want to clear the air that I didn’t ask for PDP presidential ticket and I will not. So, anybody saying that I have gone to the APC because PDP didn’t zone the PDP presidential ticket to me is being mischievous because number one is that even if PDP promises an individual a presidential ticket, how does it work when over 8,000 delegates will be electing the persons and such promise cannot happen with more than ten or twenty people? So, people are being very mischievous about that.
“Some people said I was promised this and that before joining APC, there was no such discussion. APC never promised me any position, they never promised southeast any position, and there was no such discussion.
“However, I offered this movement as a protest to injustice being done to the southeast by PDP. Since 1998, the southeast people have supported PDP in all elections; at a time the five states in southeast were all PDP. One of the founding members of PDP is from south, His Excellency Dr. Alex Ekwueme east; the late former Vice President. And so, it is absurd that since 1998 going to 2023 that southeast will never be considered to run for presidency under the ticket of the PDP, is very absurd and this is my position and it will continue to be my position, it has nothing to do with me.
