UNBELIEVABLE! Major Tragedy Hits PDP As Wike, Eight Governors, Ten Lawmakers Move To Join APC

Nigerian opposition party’s top gun, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state will be joining the governing party, APC, along with eight governors and ten lawmakers elected on the PDP platform.

The sneak details of the defection — which will go down as a major body blow to the PDP — are coming only days after the Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, left the PDP to APC, creating a chaotic situation in the opposition party..

Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, announced Wike’s defection to the APC while guesting on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Thursday.

“I think probably, I can just give you an expo,” Bello told Seun Okinbaloye, the show host, who asked him a series of questions on the latest development.

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The governor added, “The expo I am going to give to you is that Governor Wike might be the last to join this party – the All Progressives Congress, others are lining up. They will soon be here.”

Bello further commended the decision of the Ebonyi State governor to leave his former party for the APC, saying the defection was a testimony of the progress in the ruling party.

Eight Governors Knocking

According to Governor Bello, APC is a party that believes in fairness, equity, and justice, with a strong belief in the unity and oneness of the country.

He also believes the party has carried out people-oriented programmes and policies, saying that would encourage more opposition governors to join.


“I said it long ago, not today when the party (PDP) was going through some challenges; I did say that there are 10 governors from the opposition parties that will join APC.

“We have seen one; one that is even as equal as 10, he has joined us, nine to go. Just mark my words; I don’t lie, I will never lie, and I will never deceive anybody,” the Kogi governor stressed.

He added, “Umahi is here with us, more are coming. I am very sure that Governor Wike will be the 10th person (governor) to join the APC, the remaining eight are already knocking, and by the grace of God, we are working all the necessary platform for them to come in here in peace, so they are on their way.”

Again, Wike Attacks Umahi As APC Welcomes Governor, Expects Others

Meanwhile, Governor Umahi, on Thursday, finally defected to the APC, putting an end to weeks of speculation.

However, the decision did not sit well with the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, who warned Umahi not to allow his alleged quest to become Nigeria’s President to destroy the South-East zone politically.

This was just as indications emerged that about 10 members of the National Assembly from the South-East zone elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party might dump the party for the APC.

Speaking during his formal defection to the APC at the Ecumenical Centre, Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, Umahi, who thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for playing a vital role in the development of the state, stated that it was time for the state to fully get involved in the politics of the centre so as to benefit from the dividends of democracy.


He said he was moving to the APC with all the state executive council members, chairmen of the 13 local government areas, liaison officers, board members, political appointees and coordinators, among others.

The governor had during an interaction with journalists, on Tuesday, said he was leaving the PDP because of injustice, noting that he could not be part of a system where fairness, justice and equity were not taken seriously.

A visibly happy Umahi said on Thursday, “It is time to go. We have dwelt so much in one political party and it is better to go to the centre. We want to appreciate Mr President, who has helped us to develop Ebonyi State. The help from the President has transformed the state.

“We want to thank the national leaders of the party, the governors, my deputy, my exco members, the state House of Assembly members and the Ebonyi people. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for following me. Thank you for standing by me.

“My National Assembly members are my children. They are looking for something. When they get it, they will soon come back. Do not castigate them. We have three members of the Elders’ Council, do not castigate them. They are my children. Do not castigate them. They will come back. We are together.

“This is a new house that is built on God. It will accommodate all of us. I have dissolved the Elders’ Council to accommodate our brothers and sisters who are coming from the APC.

“In the South-East, we have to move to the centre. We are tired of empty promises. We want action now. Today, as my deputy has said, we have moved to the APC. The governor and the deputy governor united, together with 106 exco members; 1,200 appointees made up of executive assistants, senior executive assistants and technical assistants; and 374 liaison officers are with me on this movement.

“We have 400 appointees into boards and commissions, 506 management committee members, 130 supervisors, all local government area chairmen and all the party chairmen and the legislators. We are all in agreement on this movement.”


In his remarks, the Chairman, Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary National Convention Planning Committee, APC, Mia Mala Buni, who applauded Umahi for taking the bold step of defecting to the party, added that his action would pave the way for more democracy dividends for the people of the state.

He said Ebonyi people would benefit more from Federal Government schemes like the Anchor Borrowers’ programme, among others.

“Ebonyi is now closer to the centre and as such, will benefit more as an APC state in the South-East zone,” Buni stated.

Don’t Allow Your Presidency Ambition To Destroy S’East, Wike Tells Umahi

Reacting to the Ebonyi State governor’s defection, Wike said while no one could deny Umahi the right to pursue his political aspiration, he should be mindful of the political future of the South-East region.

Wike, who stated this during a live television programme monitored by one of our correspondents and later through a statement by his media aide, Kelvin Ebiri, said Umahi had shown himself as an ungrateful man for saying he left PDP to protest alleged injustice the party had meted out to the South-East region since 1999.

Wike stated, “Before the PDP left office, the South-East had Senate Presidents. It had the national chairman of the party and Secretary to the Government of the Federation. It had the Minister of Finance. Now, tell me what the APC has given to the people of the South-East since 2015 – Minister of Labour, Minister of Science and Technology and Minister of Foreign Affairs.

“Three senators from his (Umahi’s) state said they have seen the need for the South-East to produce the President. However, it is not the way their governor is going about it. This is not a personal thing. Your ambition should not destroy the entire South-East.”

The Rivers State governor alleged that one reason why Umahi was unhappy with the PDP was because Peter Obi was chosen as Atiku Abubakar’s running mate in 2019.


He said, “When we (PDP) had the 2018 convention that produced our presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, he consulted widely and came up with Peter Obi as his running mate; Umahi was livid because he wanted to choose or be the vice-president.

“You don’t choose who will be the vice-presidential candidate of anybody. Umahi was livid. What disturbs me is why do you think that if anything comes to the South-East it must be you? Why do you think so?”

He said Umahi could not talk of injustice when he allegedly practices injustice against the region by singlehandedly installing his two brothers as the Zonal Vice Chairman of the PDP and Deputy State Chairman of the party.

“If he believes in equity and justice, will he be doing such? It is because he has planted these people that the state House of Assembly had the effrontery to give the National Working Committee an ultimatum to zone the presidency to the East. Where does such happen? No other party has done any zoning. You can imagine the level of selfishness,” Wike added.

He also described as untrue the claim by Umahi that he made the PDP what it is in the South-East as the only financier of all its activities, saying such a claim suggested that other governors from Anambra, Abia and Enugu states were not contributing anything to ensure the success of the party in the zone.

“I know it’s not correct. If not for Pius Anyim who impressed it on former governor Elechi, would Umahi have become a governor? So, he can’t say he’s the one who has built the PDP.

Wike dismissed the allegation against him by Umahi that he imposed on the PDP Prince Uche Secondus as its national chairman, describing the allegation as spurious, adding that evidence abound that Secondus was elected at the national convention of the party.

10 NASS members from South-East to dump PDP

It was gathered that 10 members of the National Assembly from the South-East zone elected on the platform of the PDP were set to dump the party for the APC.


A senior legislative aide to one of the ranking senators from the region, who spoke to one of our correspondents on condition of anonymity, said seven senators and three members of the House of Representatives were making final arrangements with the ruling APC to dump the opposition party.

Although the source did not disclose when the federal lawmakers would dump the PDP, he, however, maintained that “as soon as consultations are concluded, they will announce their formal defection. They are consulting with their governors and other stakeholders in their various states.”

“You know, anybody who wants to contest any political position in 2023 has to move to the party that will guarantee their political future. Again, you have to stay in a party like the APC for a period of time before you can be allowed to contest any political position. So, those who are defecting now want to be on the ground and be part of decision-making at the fullness of time,” the source added.

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