Benue: APC strong in spite defection of 5 ward chairmen
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue has said the party is still stable and strong in the state in spite of the recent defection of five ward chairmen in the Makurdi Local Government Area.
This is contained in a statement on signed by its Acting Publicity Secretary, Mr James Ornguga, in Makurdi on Saturday.
He said all those who participated in the alleged stage-managed defection were earlier suspended for anti-party activities and other inappropriate acts that deserved disciplinary actions.
He added that their defection had no consequence on the stability and winning strength of the party in Makurdi, the state capital.
He said the beauty of democracy is in the ability of people to freely express their freedom of association and that the APC would never prevent anyone from doing so.
“The beauty of democracy lies in experimenting available choices but we are confident that even these party officials who are defecting grudgingly in search of monetary gains today would return to APC before 2023, when they realise how hunger- stricken the PDP camp in Benue has been and why even serving government officials are running away.
“Already, the State Party Chairman, Comrade Emmanuel Abba Yaro has directed stakeholders from the affected places to immediately replace the officials who defected.
“The party remains undeterred and asks our teeming supporters to rather get ready to welcome more PDP members who have indicated interest in joining us in the weeks ahead, as PDP continues to go further in the state.” the statement reads
He disclosed that its 2019 governorship candidate, Emmanuel Jime and others in Makurdi LG had done everything possible to stop the Mbalagh Ward chairman from defecting, but he still went ahead.
“We are also aware of the interest expressed by the PDP administration in Benue in capturing the Mbalagh APC Ward chairman who has long before now been lured into joining PDP with much promises, alongside a few others.
“While we respect their freedom of association and decision to defect in response to the incentives thrown at them, we restate that APC has always won in Makurdi Local Government and the party is still very stable under the able leadership of Jime, a loyal and consistent party man whose love for the broom party dates far back as when he joined it with his crowd of supporters.
“The said party officials, conscious of the expiration of their offices this year, may have merely jumped the ship to secure a place on the PDP dining table which unfortunately gets deserted day by day,” he said.
He further said that since 2019, Benue APC had received thousands of PDP members willingly to its fold and that more were willing to join the party.
