Connect with us

News

Defection: South-East Governors May Defect To APC And Here Is Why

APC National Convention

As the country prepares for the 2023 general elections, there are concerns that we may have only one party at the polls without strong opposition. This concern is fuelled by the defections that have seen prominent politicians cross-carpet from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC).

From the National Assembly to the various State Houses of Assembly, there has been movement from the opposition PDP to the ruling APC. Only recently, the governor of Zamfara State, Dr. Bello Muhammad Matawalle, who was elected on the platform of the PDP switched to the APC – and was welcomed with so much fanfare.

In May 2021, Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State, formerly of PDP also defected. And now there are reports that PDP governors in the South-East have decided to switch camps too.

According to Daily Indepen­dent, governors from the South-Eastern part of the country who belong to other parties have come to an agreement to join the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) so that the region will not be left out in the scheme of things.

Of all the five states (Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo) that make up the South-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, only Imo and Ebonyi states are of the ruling party APC, with Ebonyi state, having joined the party in November 2020, when its governor, Engr. Dave Umahi decamped from the nation’s opposition party, PDP.

Abia and Enugu states with Governor Okezie Ikpeazu and Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi respectively have remained in the opposition party – PDP – while Anambra state is ruled by the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) with Governor Willie Obiano at the helm.

South-East Governors

South-East Governors

Be that as it may, plans have already been reached by all governors to position the region to attract benefits from the center by aligning under the leadership of the ruling party.

A member of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) from the South-East who spoke with Daily Inde­pendent, said the defection of the remaining South-East governors to the APC will happen sooner rather than later. He said:

“Governor Ikpeazu is al­most 80 percent out of the PDP. Ugwuanyi is also on his way out and we are patiently waiting for the direction the Anambra governorship elec­tion will take. With the crisis in APGA, I won’t be surprised if Willie Obiano declares for APC tomorrow.

“I know the South-East governors have always com­plained that APC has done more for them in less than six years than what PDP did in 16 years. And they have also decided to join the party in bloc so as to attract more developments to the region in all the five states.” 

Although the above is the reason they have given for their decision, it has been discovered that there are more personal reasons for the decision to abandon the PDP family at this time, after all, politics, they say, is a game of interest.

Read More: I Won’t Support President Jonathan If APC Field Him In 2023 – Wike

For Enugu, the personal issues and power play between the Enugu state governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, and former Deputy Senate President, Sena­tor Ike Ekweremadu, who is of the PDP and seeks to replace the incumbent governor in 2023 is the major reason for the decision.

While Governor Ugwuanyi would want to push his own anointed candidate into power as his successor, Senator Ekewremadu, who wields so much power in the State’s PDP is also eyeing the governorship seat come 2023. So moving to the ruling party seems to be the only card on the table for the Enugu state governor.

The case of Abia state seems to be a concluded issue already despite the issues between the incumbent governor, Okezie Ikpeazu and former governor, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu. The decision on who becomes the party leader in the state (a position currently held by the latter) when the governor eventually decamps is the only thing holding an announcement from being made.

However, according to Yobe State governor, Mai Mala Buni, who is also a member of the APC Caretak­er Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, “Abia State governor will formally be received into our party any moment from now.”

In Anambra, the crisis rocking APGA has made it almost clear that the party is losing the state in the next governorship elections. APC at the moment remains the surest party to take over the state, come November 6 and so aligning with the ruling party for Willie Obiano seems like the most logical thing to do if he intends to remain relevant in politics after he leaves office.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Entertainment

Davido pays N2 million per haircut – Singer’s Barber Reveals

Nigerian afrobeats superstar Davido Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, pays as much as N2 million every time he gets a haircut, according to his long-term barber, Kufre Nnah.

Kufre made the revelation in a social media post, in which he shared a picture of himself working on Davido’s hair.

The Barber, who runs his business as Kayz Place, also revealed that he’s been Davido’s Barber since he was 12, when he used to pay only N200 to get a haircut.

Disclosing that Davido now pays him N2 million per haircut, Kufre admired the singer and appreciated him for being a part of his journey over the years.

Kufre’s post, which also had pictures showing Davido’s haircut up close, was captioned:

“I started cutting Davido’s hair when he was just 12 years old, when he used to pay me 200 Naira. Today, he’s paying 2 million for a haircut…what a journey! So proud to have been part of his story from the beginning. Big thanks to you, brothe,r for trusting me all these years. Your success is truly inspiring.”

Recall that earlier this weekend, on Saturday, Davido was out showing up for another long-term associate, his manager Asa Asika, at his traditional wedding where he was on groomsmen duties.

In his heartfelt speech at the ceremony held in Lagos, Davido recounted how he and Asa worked hard together to build their music empire from absolutely nothing.

Davido hailed Asa for being more than just his manager, saying he’s his ‘shield,’ his sanity, and his brother in every battle.

Continue Reading

News

PDP Crisis Worsen as NEC set to decide fate of Rebel Members

Party elder Chief Bode George has warned that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may expel some prominent members at its upcoming National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on May 27. In an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, George said the NEC was prepared to take decisive action against members who no longer adhere to party rules or its founding principles.

“Those who cannot abide by the rules and regulations of the party, we can throw them out,” he said.

George criticised some party members for placing personal interests above public service.

What is democracy? It’s all about the management of the resources of the land for the benefit of the people. That is not what they have done now,” he lamented.He stressed that the NEC would hold a closed-door session to confront internal issues head-on.

“We should tell ourselves some serious home truths and come back to the position as laid down by the founding fathers of our party,” George said.

Since the 2023 elections, the PDP has been grappling with deep internal divisions.

Instead of consolidating as a viable opposition to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the party has struggled with disloyalty and factionalism.

A flashpoint in the crisis is the conduct of some high-profile PDP members who have openly backed APC President Bola Tinubu.

Chief among them is the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, who recently declared his support for Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid, despite remaining in the PDP.

This stance has drawn sharp criticism from the party, with some members accusing the leadership of overlooking blatant acts of disloyalty

Continue Reading

News

Ex-US President Biden diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer

Former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has metastasized to his bones, according to a statement released by his personal office on Sunday, May 18.

The 82-year-old was evaluated last week after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms, leading to the discovery of a prostate nodule.

A biopsy confirmed a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5), indicating a highly aggressive form of the disease.

“While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive, which allows for effective management,” the statement noted.

According to CNN, Biden and his family are reviewing treatment options with his medical team. A source familiar with his schedule confirmed that he is spending the weekend at his home in Wilmington, Delaware.

The announcement comes just days after Biden’s team acknowledged that he had undergone evaluation for a small prostate nodule. Medical experts not involved in his care offered context on the seriousness of the diagnosis.

“Prostate cancer is very common. As we get older, most men are going to have little cancer cells in them,” said Dr Jamin Brahmbhatt, a urologist and robotic surgeon with Orlando Health.

However, Biden’s Gleason score signals a more severe prognosis.

“A Gleason score of 9 means it’s the most aggressive form of prostate cancer,” explained Dr Benjamin Davies, a professor of urologic oncology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre.

It remains unclear where the former president is receiving treatment at present. However, efforts to request further details are underway.

Continue Reading

Trending