More than 3, 000 members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Abia State have decamped to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Making this known in his address during a well attended PDP stakeholders meeting held at Okpara Auditorium, Government House, Umuahia, under the leadership of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, Chairman of the PDP in Abia, Rt Hon Asiforo Okere while giving account of the recent tour of Abia LGAs embarked upon by the party leadership in the state said, “we rebuilt the confidence of our members and strengthened their tiers of unity. The hallmark of that was our harvest of not less than 2,000 opposition members particularly of APC and APGA stock across the state.

“In addition, new members numbering over 3,000 came up at different LGAs across the state and declared openly for the party.”

In his remarks, Governor Okezie Ikpeazu who congratulated members of the party on the successful recent local government elections in the state, assured them that his administration will not allow itself to be distracted by the opposition who, according to him, are bent on attempting to lure him into joining issues with them politically and abandon the ongoing rapid development of the state.

He briefed party members on ongoing projects of his administration assuring that he intends to complete all projects started by his administration before 2023. “Abia is a PDP state and the other party has nothing to offer our people now or in future, hence, their resort to propaganda of defection”, he said.

Continuing, Governor Ikpeazu said, “our people know that they are better off with PDP and will never agree to return to the dark days represented by those now masquerading as APC leaders. We know their pedigree and footprints in this state and when it is time I will challenge them to come forward and show the people of the state what they have done for them both in the past and present”.

Also speaking, Senators T. A. Orji and Enyinnaya Abaribe called for unity of purpose among party members to ensure that the party consolidates in the state and expressed appreciation to Governor Ikpeazu for his focused efforts to deliver quality infrastructure to the people of the state.

The National Organising Secretary of the PDP, Colonel Austin Akobundu, announced that the party was set to embark on fresh membership registration drive in the country and called on members to treat all new members as equal members.

Others at the well attended meeting include the Deputy Governor, Rt Hon Ude Oko Chukwu, current and former PDP members of the National Assembly. Speaker of Abia State House of assembly, Engr Chinedum Orji, and members of the state House of Assembly, members of the state Executive Council, Local Government Chairmen, party leaders and stakeholders from all the LGAs, including Chief Emma Nwaka, Chief Tony Ukasanya, Prof Greg Ibe, among others.