Abaribe dumps PDP, steps down as Senate Minority Leader

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Enyinnaya Abaribe, the Senate Minority Leader and a candidate for governor of Abia State, has abandoned the Peoples Democratic Party and resigned from his position as Senate Minority Leader.

Abaribe, one of the leading candidates for the party’s governorship nomination in Abia State, withdrew from the primary approximately 78 hours earlier.

In separate letters to the ward chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in the Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State and the President of the Senate in the National Assembly, he confirmed his departure from the PDP as well as his position as minority leader in both the party and the Senate.

Abaribe’s decision to leave the party was based on illegality, impunity, and hesitation in decision-making.

He said his next move would be communicated at the appropriate time.

A letter addressed to the party’s ward Chairman, titled “Resignation of my membership from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,” read in part, “I write to inform you of my decision to resign as a member of (the) Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“This development is consequent upon the shameful display of illegality, impunity and undemocratic decision of the party and after due consultations with my constituents.”

On his resignation as a member of the party in the upper chamber of the national assembly and the minority leader in the senate addressed to the President of the Senate, Senator Lawan Ahmed, the letter titled, “Notification of Resignation from the Membership of the Peoples Democratic Party in the Senate,” read in part, “This is to notify you and my dear colleagues in the Senate that I have formally resigned my membership of the Peoples Democratic Party through my ward. This also means my resignation as (the) Minority Leader of the Senate.”

“I wish to thank you and my dear colleagues in the Leadership of the Senate for the warm camaraderie we enjoyed while I was Minority Leader.”