PDP Sinks in Apa/Agatu as lawmaker Umoru, Joy Okpainmo, others dump party

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) appears to be losing its grip on Apa Local Government Area of Benue State as a wave of defections continues to hit the once-dominant political platform ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In what many observers describe as a major political shift in the area, the lawmaker representing Apa State Constituency in the Benue State House of Assembly, James Abuh Umoru, has officially defected from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Umoru, who until his defection served as the Minority Leader of the Benue State House of Assembly, announced his decision during plenary, explaining that the move was driven by political strategy and the need to align with the state government for the benefit of his constituents.

Addressing fellow lawmakers, he said his decision was not borne out of personal interests but rather out of a desire to support the developmental agenda of the current administration in the state.

“My decision to join the APC is informed by the need to unite with the administration of Governor Hyacinth Alia to bring the much-needed development and transformation to my constituents in Apa and Agatu,” Umoru said on the floor of the House.

His defection has been widely interpreted as a significant political blow to the PDP in Apa LGA, where the party once enjoyed considerable support.

Barely hours after the announcement, another notable political figure from the area, Joy Okpainmo, also announced her exit from the PDP. Okpainmo, who serves as Legislative Aide to the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro, formally joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Okpainmo, who has declared her intention to contest the Apa/Agatu Federal Constituency seat in the House of Representatives in the 2027 general election, described her decision to leave the PDP as difficult but necessary.

Speaking shortly after announcing her defection, she admitted that the decision was not an easy one but maintained that politics often requires difficult choices.

“It was a hard decision, but we move. Politics is about the people and what they want, and I am comfortable with the direction things are taking,” she said.

Her move adds another layer to the unfolding political realignments in Apa LGA, further weakening the PDP’s influence in the area as key political actors continue to seek new platforms ahead of the next electoral cycle.

With the simultaneous exits of a sitting lawmaker and an emerging federal constituency aspirant, political watchers believe the PDP may face an uphill task rebuilding its structure and support base in Apa.