Ozigbo Explains Defection from Labour Party to APC, Cites Betrayal and Love for Anambra

Former Anambra State governorship aspirant, Valentine Ozigbo, has explained his decision to leave the Labour Party, LP, for the All Progressives Congress, APC, describing the move as a difficult but necessary step taken out of love for Anambra State.

In a statement posted on X on Tuesday, Ozigbo said he felt compelled to clarify the reasons behind his defection ahead of the forthcoming governorship election in the state.

He acknowledged that his decision had stirred mixed reactions, noting that many of his supporters had expressed curiosity, disappointment, and anger.

“Many people have asked: ‘Val, why did you leave the Labour Party?’ ‘Why APC?’ Some asked with curiosity, some with disappointment, and some with anger. I understand all three. But truth demands context,” he stated.

According to Ozigbo, he was fully committed to the Labour Party at the height of its popularity and enjoyed overwhelming grassroots support within the Obidient movement. He said independent online polls at the time showed he had polled over 90 percent of votes in two separate surveys on preferred governorship and party candidates.

However, Ozigbo alleged that internal betrayal and sabotage within the Labour Party’s top hierarchy derailed his ambition.

“I witnessed a level of betrayal and sabotage within the Labour Party leadership (not the grassroots) unlike anything I had encountered in public life. A deliberate effort was made at the leadership level to stop my candidacy at all costs,” he said.

He further claimed that rather than ensuring fairness, the party’s leadership orchestrated a process lacking transparency.

“All I asked for was a transparent process — a level playing field, not a coronation. Yet what unfolded revealed a troubling reality: the very culture we condemned in other parties had taken root there, and in some cases, even deeper,” Ozigbo stated.

He added that his exit exposed the internal weaknesses of the Labour Party in Anambra, which he said eventually crippled its structure.

“I could have stayed to continue the fight from within, but I had long realized that in the process of chasing me out, they ended up crippling the party itself — out of selfishness and short-sightedness,” he added.

Explaining his decision to join the APC, Ozigbo said the ruling party was the only viable platform left to challenge the current administration in the state.