By Chioma Onuegbu
Mass defection has hit the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Akwa Ibom State as over 20,000 of its members defected to the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday led by the chapter and ward chairmen from 16 local government areas of the state.
Majority of them are however, supporters and loyalist of Senator John Akpanudoedehe since the time of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, who kicked against his (Akpanudoedehe) decision to join forces with Nsima Ekere.
It will be recalled that Akpanudoedehe had penultimate weekend, decided to hand over his supporters to Ekere after the party’s reconciliation.
Joseph Ama and other former APC chapter Chairmen who spoke separately during the event at the Ibom hall ground, Uyo, said they decided to dump the APC because they were threatened by the memories of the insecurity, kidnapping, politically motivated killings and other social vices which characterised the political land space of Akwa-Ibom State during a former state governor’s reign.
Handing over the decampees to Governor Udom Emmanuel, Ama who noted that the number of decampees were the APC support base built up since 2008 and inherited from the days of the ACN, said the people of Uyo senatorial district would not allow themselves to be fooled by anyone who may desire to pocket the entire state.
He said, “We quit the APC today because we are children of peace. We were very comfortable in the party and suddenly three killers who didn’t allow Akwa Ibom to exist peacefully some time ago defected to the APC and started their kidnapping again.”
Similarly, the Chapter chairman of APC in Itu Local Government Area of the state, Sunday Uyire, said it was “practically impossible for me and my exco members to remain in the same party with those who in 2011, plotted to kill us.”