C'River Local Govt. Polls: Thousands of APC members dump party, join PDP in Obubra ahead of March Elections

C'River Local Govt. Polls: Thousands of APC members dump party, joins PDP in Obubra ahead of March Elections

BY BRIGHT IBINGHA

More than 8000 APC stalwarts had earlier on the 22th of February 2020 dumped the party for the People's Democratic Party PDP in Ababene ward of Obubra LGA, Cross River State.

This happened as the chairmanship candidate of the People's Democratic party PDP and his team paid a unique visit to the ward to intimate them of the progress of work done in the LGAs electioneering processes, especially the success of clinching the revered ticket to become the flagbearer  of the party. The defectors who came from different communities of the ward said their reasons for dumping the All Progressive Congress APC for the People's Democratic Party PDP is not unconnected with the incessant crises rocking the party over the years that has culminated in the continuous Fielding of multiple candidacies in every election, a situation they said was  retrogressive rather than progressive.

Speaking, the leader of the defectors said their decision to join the PDP is borne out of the fact that the APC has suddenly become impotent and can no longer serve as a platform for societal development, at this point  the choice to join their Brothers in the PDP to contribute to the overall development of their LGA especially given the fact that a trusted and tested leader is flagging the flag of the party has become inevitable. They promised to give their all in the fight to give a facelift to our dear LGA.

Some of the party bigwigs who were at the event to receive the swarm of the defectors were the Hon. Commissioner for industries Hon. Peter Akam, Dr Edom Obo, Dr Boypa Egbe, Dr Cletus Omono, the party flagbearer Dr Bassey Agara Tom and a host of others.

On his part, the Obubra chairmanship candidate  of PDP Hon Dr Bassey Agara Tom expressed delight over the move and lauded the people's decision saying that it was a home coming and therefore they would not be treated as new members, but old members gaining vitality again. In his words;

"I want to very specially appreciate all of you for your decision to be useful to yourself and your dear LGA 'Obubra' this means that you are tired of being seen as controversial people, it shows your readiness to offer your wealth of experience and your intelligence quotient in offering a lasting solution to the many problems bedeviling our LGA.

Your defection today is a home coming, we welcome you back to your family. You were drifted away by circumstances, you left your family to a political support group that is not qualified to field a candidate for any election, thank God you have realized yourself early enough and have decided to come back home. Feel free as we all welcome you to your family, we will still see you as our old members gaining new energy and vitality in the business of electioneering"

Another representative of the defectors who spoke in the event thanked the party flagbearer and other PDP bulwarks for accepting them back to the party. He said what they saw in APC was  despicable and that they were not sure if such a party could win election in Cross River State in the next 50 years. Speaking further, he said they were feeling very fulfilled to have made it back to their family. He urged everyone in the ward to rise and support the candidature of Dr Bassey Agara Tom of PDP for better governance and meaningful development of the LGA.

Some of the highlights of the event included burning of brooms, pledges of unflinching support to the chairmanship candidate and PDP as a party, cultural dances and masquerades display, etc.

Recall that the All Progressive Congress APC has been facing a tulmultous crisis across the federation right from when its national chairman comrade Adams Oshiohmole took over the leadership of the party from the former leader Chief John Odigie Oyegun, a crisis that has caused the party a fortune and reduced it to a mere support group especially in Cross River State.

Bright Ibingha
Calabar