2019: Massive defection looms in Abia PDP

There is a planned mass defection of members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia state to another party should what a group within the PDP in the area described as a daylight robbery during the party primaries was not addressed by the party leadership.

PDP held primaries in Aba for the House of Representative seat and an indigene of the area, Hon Blessing Nwagba lost to Hon Uzo Azubuike, current commissioner for Agriculture in the state.

It was learnt that youths in the area protested the result, sighting what they described as high level of electoral fraud which gave room for a candidate they said wasn’t their choice.

Patrick Ikebekee, leader of the group said, “We are not talking about how the current administration in the state under PDP has abandoned us. We have tolerated the PDP enough, but since they all have conspired to put Aba Ngwa people into perpetual servitude, we shall push PDP out of Aba.

“No matter what it will cost us, there shall be massive defection into another party. We shall make sure nobody talks about PDP in Aba again. This is our land and any party that commands Aba owns Abia.

“We are therefore issuing one week ultimatum to the PDP to reschedule this Kangaroo primaries that was conducted today or there will be a massive defection of the entire Aba Ngwa people into another party. This is not how elections should be done”, he said.

Another youth, Marvelous Ahuama alleged that what transpired at the primaries and how the result was controversially announced showed that there was a huge conspiracy from the top to be keeping them away from enjoying what belongs to them and make them settle for crumbs.

He said: “We have asked that we be granted opportunity to at least represent ourselves, but with what has played out here it means it has eluded us again. The election was marred with several irregularities like over voting and we complained earlier, but the PDP hierarchy ignored us”.