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From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
Labour Party (LP) chieftains in Abia State on Wednesday said reports that 3,000 of their members had defected to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) under the leadership of one Maduka Akpulonu were untrue and an attempt to mislead their supporters.
They added that no member of their party would even consider defecting to a rival group that was already losing support in Abia State.
The party announced this in a statement that was jointly signed by Maxwell Nwadike, the LP Coordinator for the Obingwa West Constituency, and Dr Eric Egwuibe, Chairman of the Obingwa West Stakeholders.
It read: “We wish to place it on record that no member of the people’s oriented party, the Labour Party in the local government has decamped to PDP or any other party.
“Labour Party and her teeming members in the local government are together, working assiduously day and night to ensure that our gubernatorial candidate, Dr Alex Otti, and others for the State Assembly emerge victorious in Saturday’s elections.
“For purposes of recapitulation, Akpulonu has since been expelled from the Labour Party for anti-party activities.
“He is widely known as a serial betrayer and political merchant who can trade his own soul for pecuniary and selfish interests. His ignoble penchant for money politics is commonplace.
“The Labour Party is the conscience of the society which has come to liberate Abia from the orgy of bad governance and political miasma permeated by the PDP government since 1999.
“It is therefore not for personal aggrandizement and the likes of Akpulonu naturally abhor such an atmosphere and cannot fit in.
“The report was only meant to hoodwink the unsuspecting members of the public and the electorate who are poised to bury the PDP in Saturday’s elections.
“Recall that in the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly polls, Labour Party trashed the PDP in all facets and spheres of the state, winning the Abia Central senatorial District Seat in the Senate out of 3 and also 6 in the House of Representatives out of 8 seats.
“We are not surprised that the sinking PDP so roundly beaten and rejected in the state can now concoct all manner of political narratives, shopping for expelled betrayers to raise the number of the so-called decampees to save face ahead of Saturday’s elections.
“We make bold to say that what is left of the PDP is its carcass that will be finally buried on Saturday.
“For a party that has already seen its imminent annihilation, it’s no surprise that it will recruit the likes of Akpulonu for some hatchet jobs.
“How can a party with no seat in the Senate, struggled to win one seat in the House of Representatives be talking about 3000 decampees from a winning Labour Party at this time? This can come from a party of lies. All members of the Labour Party in Obingwa are in touch with Otti and are working for victory on Saturday.”
