Former Senate President Pius Anyim, alongside former gubernatorial candidates of opposition parties in Ebonyi, defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Saturday.
Mr Anyim, formerly of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), defected to the APC with some of his supporters during the grand finale of the APC campaign for the LGA elections in Abakaliki.
Mr Anyim, a former secretary to the government of the federation, defected alongside a former Senator and PDP Gubernatorial Candidate in the 2023 general elections, Obinna Ogba and that of the Labour Party, Edward Nkwegu.
Also, some former federal and state lawmakers and former LGA chairpersons, all from the opposition, defected to the APC.
Mr Anyim, in his remarks, said Ebonyi had always been one political family, and the massive defection of opposition members to the party attested to such fact.
The former Senate president said his intention to join the APC had been hatched for long, as former Governor David Umahi remarked.
“The time I wanted this to happen, Umahi was not ready, and the time he wanted it, it didn’t turn out the way we wanted. We however, thank God that it has worked smoothly as we all are presently under the same roof,” he said.
The former SGF said the defection was about not just him but the Ebonyi people, as consultations were widely made before a final resolution.
“We wanted to appreciate Governor Francis Nwifuru’s great works and reconciling various political divides of the state, making them stay under one roof. We are aware of the enormous economic and socio-cultural challenges confronting the country and the need to patriotically support President Bola Tinubu to surmount the challenges.
“We intend to collaborate with all federal appointees from the state, especially the minister of works, Umahi, to support and step down President Tinubu’s life-uplifting policies to Ebonyi people,” he said.
The APC national chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, commended Mr Nwifuru for sustaining his predecessor’s ideals of enlarging the APC in the state and South-East geopolitical zone.
“The APC is presently de-marginalising the South-East zone by placing it in the mainstream of national politics. The ministerial among other appointments given by President Tinubu to indigenes of the zone, massive infrastructural development in the zone among others,, attests to this fact,” he said.
Governor Francis Nwifuru commended the decampees for their bold decision to join the APC and assured them they would be adequately accommodated in the party.
“I thank my predecessor and father, Senator David Umahi, for laying this strong foundation for the party’s growth in Ebonyi and President Bola Tinubu for his fatherly support to us in all ramifications.
“Ebonyi will develop more rapidly when its leaders and people stay under one roof, to actualise the people’s charter of needs mantra of the administration,” stated Mr Nwifuru.
(NAN)