By Abraham Uwuasom
2000 members of the All Progressive Congress (APC) including top aides to the Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom dumped the party for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) citing various reasons including the failure of the governor to perform his duties creditably well.
The aides, Honourable Anthony Adah, a former Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to Governor Samuel Ortom on Youth mobilization, Barrister Chris Idu, former Special Assistant to governor on Legal Matters and ex-Caretaker chairman of Okpokwu local government under APC, Hellen Ode, a gubernatorial aspirant under APC in 2015 and Mrs Robert Obetta led 2,000 members of APC back to the opposition party, PDP in a crowded ceremony held at Okpoga, headquarters of Okpokwu local government area of the state.
Former minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro who presented the defectors to the state party chairman, explained that the returnees had discovered that they were deceived to join the ruling party.
“During the re-run election in this senatorial district, (Benue south senatorial district) I had told the people who defected then, those I always refer to as ‘Food is ready politician’ that they were being deceived to leave PDP to join the party.”
“But today they have discovered that the party in power is deceitful, all eyes have seen it with the manner the people of the state have been impoverished and they have decided to leave the comfort zone to come back to suffering zone so that we can all struggle for our tomorrow”.
The state Chairman of PDP, Honourable John Ngbede who received the returnees said, ‘it is good these people realized their mistakes and have retraced their steps back to PDP.’
Ngbede noted that they have become PDP family and promised that the party would not discriminate against them.
Adah Obetta and Idu stated that they were leaving the APC because they discovered that the Ortom led government in the state is being run on deceit and propaganda that will take the state no were.
They equally said that the APC is head
Dr Samuel Ortom, the Executive Governor of Benue State
ing for the rock with no achievement to show for its nearly three years in power.
“As we speak no single achievement the party can show they electorate outside instituting massive hunger in the land as salaries are owned amidst pilling up of debt following massive borrowing by the governor”. They called on the electorate to be wise and resist the lies of the APC.
In his reaction to the development, the state chairman of All Progressive Congress, APC, Hon. Abba Yaro described the defectors as irrelevant people.