Chief Israel Nwosu, former executive chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State, has led about 600 members and supporters of the party across the electoral wards in Umuahia East Constituency to Labour Party ahead of the general elections in 2023.
Also defecting to the Labour Party, alongside Nwosu, is the past publicity secretary of Umuahia North chapter of the party and former Special Adviser to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu on Security Matters, Mr Ugochukwu Okezie.
While adducing the rationale behind their latest movement to the Labour Party during the declaration event which took place at Ibeku East Electoral Ward 1 in Umuahia East at the weekend, the leader of the PDP defectors, explained their latest move was necessitated by the misrepresentations and legislative redundancy steadily displayed by those entrusted with people’s mandate under the umbrella party and a below par by the state government.
The ex-Abia PDP members decried the complete lack of internal democracy and due process in the Abia chapter of the party. They added that the party had derailed from its original ideologies and principle on which it was founded.
They alleged the imposition of lists of adhoc delegates who participated at the concluded primary elections held in the state by the leadership of the PDP.
“The lists of PDP adhoc delegates that voted at the concluded primary elections held across the 184 electoral wards of the seventeen local government areas in Abia State was foisted on teeming party members in the state including those who are now party candidates.
“They were all imposed on us. And these unwholesome acts by the PDP leadership has caused Abia PDP loosing many of its leaders, critical stakeholders, teeming members and supporters to other political parties. This unwholesome practices by Abia PDP negated basic and true democratic principle. And it is on these above wrongdoings by the Abia leadership of the PDP we arrived on our decision to leave the PDP for Labour Party.
“You can see today Labour Party is enjoying massive support of Nigerians, and it’s our beliefs and opinion that LP is the only alternative and easy route to Abia’s economic recovery and Infrastructural resuscitation which successive administrations failed to show capacity till now. We shall collectively work hard and ensure all candidates jostling for various elective political offices in the forthcoming general elections are delivered, so as to enable them provide responsive governance and effective legislative representation to every doorsteps of the people.”
Receiving the hundreds of the PDP defectors, the Umuahia North LG chairman of the Labour Party, Mr Uche Ugele; and LP senatorial candidate for Abia Central District, Hon Darlington Nwokocha; the state House of Assembly standard-bearer of the Labour Party for Umuahia East Constituency seat, Hon Austin Okezie Meregini; during the event, lauded the new party members for their courage to dump Peoples Democratic Party, for the Labour Party, as he assured them of equal rights and level-playing ground in the party decision-making process and further tasked them to work for the success of all LP candidates in the state in next year’s general elections.
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