Eruption hits APC in Benue, as over 9,000 opposition members join PDP

By Yemi Itodo

The opposition parties in Benue State, suffered a great loss yesterday, when about 9,200 members crossed over to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The decamping ceremony was held in Vandeikya, the headquarters of Vandeikya local government area, when the State Chairman of PDP, Sir John Ngbede led the State Working Committee to the area to inaugurate the chapter executives of the party.

The main opposition party, All Progressive Congress (APC) recorded highest figures of the defectors, with African Democratic Congress (ADC), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) also loosing great number of followers to the PDP.

Speaking on behalf of the mammoth defectors, former Chairman of Vandeikya local government council, Hon. Steven Manta, said they were leaving their former parties because of poor ideologies and lack of internal democracy.

Hon. Manta who spoke in Tiv language, said the PDP was a party committed to the development of KUNANV region, saying the people could not afford to work against the development of the area and Benue at large.

Benue State Chairman of PDP, Sir Ngbede, while receiving the defectors, assured them of a leveled playing ground for all, as there would not be anything like old or new members of PDP.

“For those of you that have decamped from APC here, I want to assure you of something, that you are as equal as any leader or member of this party called PDP. Let me assure you that, nobody will tell you that ‘you are just coming'”, Ngbede said.

He announced that the state was working towards having the mother of all decamping ceremony in Makurdi, the State capital, in a date to be announced later, where there would be centralised harvest of all defectors across the 23 local government areas of the state.

Ngbede debunked the claim by the APC that some members of the PDP defected to the broom party in some local government areas, calling on the public not to be misled by such unholy propaganda.

Speaking separately, the Speaker, Benue State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Titus Ubah; the Honourable Commissioner for Education, Professor Dennis Ityavyar; Executive Chairman, Vandeikya LGC, Hon. Mrs. Paulyn Kukase Garba; Member representing Tiev-Vandeikya State Constituency, Rt. Hon. Dominic Ucha and other stakeholders, assured the State Working Committee of continuous harvest of members from the opposition parties in the area.

Highlights of the event was the decoration of Sir Ngbede with the Tiv traditional attire, separately by the newly inaugurated local government executives of the party and Vandeikya Youth Network.