Over 25000 members of Abia state’s All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) have defected to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
The group led by the Acting Chairman, Ambassador Azubuike Peter Chijioke, visited the headquarters of the SDP in Abuja on Thursday to make their position known to the national leadership of the party led by Alhaji Shehu Gabam.
In their position paper read by the Acting Chairman of the group, Ambassador Chijioke, to the National Working Committee (NWC) of the SDP, the defectors requested for “a letter of recognition to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) copying the Abia state desk”.
They also demanded for the “copies of the party membership register for the 184 wards of Abia state and party membership cards (25,000 copies), party flags and every other necessary material that would help the party function maximally in Abia state.
“We, the mainstream faction of the All-Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Abia state have elected to align with your good selves and formally join SDP moving with over 25,000 of our current members and followers across Abia state.
“This has been informed by your iconic leadership and growing influence and acceptance in all the States of the Federation.
“We are certain with no equivocation that our alignment will upscale and enhance the fortunes and successes of our union in Abia state resulting in significant electoral victories in the state.
“We feel certain that our joint collaboration will strengthen and recalibrate the existing capabilities of the party both at the state and the national level.
“Having manifested such interest, we take the liberty to collapse our structure from the wards through the local governments areas, zones up to the state where we already have vibrant and tested party leaders and executive members.
“We offer to take over the leadership of SDP in Abia state, for a robust political re-engineering to the mutual benefit of all SDP stakeholders in the state and at the national level.
“It may interest you to know that we are fully represented in all the 184 wards and 17 local governments in Abia state, with functional leadership.
“We also have functional offices in the wards and Local Governments. In addition to these, we have our state office at Umuahia, the state Capital”, Chijioke said.
Reacting, the National Chairman, Shehu Gabam, urged the defecting members to go to their various wards and properly register to enable proper capture of their names in the register to be sent to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Gabam also told them that other assistance they would require would be given to them to that the could function properly and go for membership drive that would ensure they capture the Abia state Government House in the next general elections.
According to him, 25000 copies of membership cards would be given to them, informing them that the party’s cards were customized and in serial numbers.