July 31, (THEWILL) – At least 5,000 members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Cross River State, have declared support for the People’s Democratic Party in the Northern Senatorial District of the state.
Those who declared their support for PDP include former APC wards and chapter officers, women leaders, leaders of the Hausa community in Ogoja, Yala, Bekwarra, Oabnliku and Obudu, as well as candidates in the last Ogoja/Yala federal Constituency and aspirants in the last congresses.
Chief Austine Edibe, the Vice Chairman of the PDP in the Northern Senatorial District of the state received the defectors at TTC field, Igoli-Ogoja, on behalf of his party.
He enjoined them to go back to their respective wards and work for the success of PDP in 2023.
He assures them that the wards that deliver the highest votes would be rewarded with more dividends of democracy.
On his part, the Senator representing the district in the National Assembly, Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe, advised them to be loyal to party leadership at their various wards and remain steadfast.
He advised them to reject any form of inducements as they brace for the 2023 general elections.
“This is the time for the defectors to tie their belts and reject any form of inducements in readiness for the battle ahead”, he said.
Earlier, the former Deputy Governor, Efiok Cobham, said the defectors should join the “operation vote APC out” and called on them to get their PVCs ready to bring back PDP.
Some of the defectors expressed their readiness to work for PDP, saying “we are back to our root.”
One of the defectors and a former chapter treasurer of APC, Obudu, Agim Joseph Agim, said they came back to PDP because of the love for Senator Jarigbe and to be part of the success story ahead of 2023.
Ushie James Odey, former APC secretary, Ukpah ward, in Bekwarra, said: “We have worked for APC for seven years and got nothing, neither was I empowered. So, I decided to defect to PDP where I can be given human treatment.”
THEWILL Correspondent, Aniekan Bassey has over six years experience that spans across several fields in print journalism including development communication, sexual reproductive and health rights issues, crime, climate change, social justice, business and human interest stories.
