The gale of defection hitting Nigeria’s main opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may be far from over.
On Saturday, the party again lost two of key members in Adamawa and Imo States to the open arms of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The new defectors are Senator Grace Bent and Hillary Ugochukwu.
Bent, who represented the Adamawa South Senatorial Zonal in the National Assembly between 2007 and 2011 under the PDP, said during a ceremony in which she was received into the APC in Yola on Saturday, that she has had enough of the PDP.
“After 21 years in the PDP during which I held vital positions, I have decided, after wide consultations, to move on and to do so with progressive people, hence my decision to come into APC,” she said.
Bent’s reception into the APC was attended by three state governors: Simon Lalong of Plateau State, Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi State and Muhammadu Badaru of Jigawa State. Yahaya Bello of Kogi State who was also scheduled to be in Yola for the event, was represented by his deputy, Edward Onoja.
Former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, performed the function of formally ushering Grace Bent into the APC on behalf of APC caretaker Chairman, Mai Mala Buni.
Nnamani congratulated Grace Bent for choosing a new political life in the APC and assured her that she would have the freedom and fair playing ground to pursue her political ambitions under the party.
He said the party was glad to have her, adding that she was a crowd puller and would help the upward swing of the party in Adamawa State towards the 2023 election.
Meanwhile, Hillary Ugochukwu, a former senatorial aspirant of the PDP, also announced his defection at a reception organised in his honour by the state leaders of the APC in Owerri on Saturday.
Ugochukwu lauded Gov. Hope Uzodimma on his achievements in office and expressed willingness to work with him towards taking the state to greater height.
The former aspirant, an agriculturist and estate developer, called on his supporters to join him in his struggle to make the a better place.
He said he registered with the APC in his home ward in Ogwa in Mbaitoli Local Government Area (LGA) of the state before his advancement to the state level.
”After careful thought and due consultation, I have decided to join the ruling party so as to have the right platform to fully support the development milestones of Gov. Hope Uzodimma,“ he said.
Speaking at the reception in APC secretariat in Owerri, Mr Lemmy Akakem, a chieftain of the party, described Ugochukwu’s choice of working with the state governor as an indication that the administration was one to beat.
He called on other politicians in the state to toe the same path for progress.
