The All Progressive Congress, (APC) made further incursion into the stronghold of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in Anambara state, snatching away two law makers who defected to the party, ahead of the November 6 2021 Governorship Election in the state.
The Independent National Electoral Commission had released a list of seven candidates to participate in the election, with the major opposition party in the country, Peoples Democratic Party, missing on the list.
As count down to the election continued, there had been waves of defection to the All Progressive Congress, (APC) from rival parties in the state including the People’s Democratic Party and the All Progressive Grand Alliance, (APGA).
Penultimate week, APC made a big catch, when a member of APGA Board of Trustees,(Bot), Sunday Umeaguagu defected to the party.
Also APC chieftains, including, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Gbajabiamila , Deputy Senate President Omo-Agege, Governors of Imo, Kogi, Kano, Jigawa and Kebbi states were at the Imo State Government lodge in Abuja, to receive five serving and four former members of the House of Representatives, two members of the Anambara State House of Assembly who defected to the APC from APGA, even as Chairman Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Mai Mala Buni hailed the defections saying, it will improve the chances of the APC victory at the next elections, especially, in the South East.
The latest in the gale of defections to the APC in Anambara state came when Onyebuchi Offor (Ekwusigo Constituency), and Douglas Egbuna, (Onitsha North l Constituency), announced their defection at plenary in Awka.
Offor, who was also the Minority Leader of the House, said that he consulted widely with his family and mentor on his decision to move from PDP to the APC.
“It is time I join the party at the centre so that my constituents can feel and experience the presence of the ruling party,” he said.
Egbuna also explained that he defected to the APC after several consultations.
The Speaker of the House, Mr Uche Okafor, while congratulating the lawmakers, wished them well in their new party.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that on September 21, four lawmakers elected on the platform of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), in the state Assembly, also defected to the APC.
The lawmakers include Mr Lawrence Ezeudu, (Dunukofia), Dr Timothy Ifedioranma, (Njikoka l), Dr Carter Dike-Umeh, (Aguata l) and Mr Smart Okafor, (Nnewi North).
With the defection of the lawmakers, APC now has six members, leaving PDP with four members, while APGA has 20 members in the Assembly
Also at the plenary, the lawmakers commenced the scrutiny and third reading of the Open Grazing of Cattle and other Livestock Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Bill 2021.