By Ismail Omipidan, Chinelo Obogo, Lagos  Emmanuel Uzor, Abakaliki and Petrus Obi, Enugu

National Publicity Secretary of the  Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, has described as “nonsense,” the claim by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, that three PDP governors from the South East, would soon join it.

He further said that he was in touch with the PDP governors from the zone, and there was nothing to suggest that any of them would be defecting, either now or in the future.

Instead, he said, the PDP was expecting a mad rush from the APC to its fold, adding that the APC’s claim was mere speculation.

This is even as the Abia state governor, Okezie Ikpeazu declared that Abia was ‘PDP for life’. He spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Enyinnaya Appolos, while reacting to APC’s claim concerning the planned defection.

On his part, Adeyeye who spoke from Abuja told Daily Sun that “I am confident about 2019 because we are expecting a rush to our party from the APC, that is what Nigerians are expecting. “Who will go to their party? I see it as mere speculation. They should wait for it to happen first before talking about it.  Which party, will people go to? A party that has inflicted so much pain on Nigerians? A party that has brought untold hardship on Nigerians? A party that is trying to destroy our democracy, by not obeying the rule of law? I believe that Nigerians are angry with APC and they would show their anger at the polls.”

Also reacting, the National Vice Chairman of the PDP, South East zone, Chief Austin Umahi, dismissed the defection rumour, describing the claim, as laughable.

He said the party would not be distracted by what he called ‘empty propaganda’ of the  APC to destabilize and misinform the  public into believing that some governors are planning to join them, from the zone .

Chief Umahi said, from what is happening in the zone, it was obvious that APC was afraid of massive development going on in the states controlled by PDP and the support the governors are enjoying in their respective states.

He said the entire South East which voted overwhelmingly for the PDP in the last election would not and cannot surrender their mandate which they gave to the governors for any reason.

“South East is the heart of PDP and while we are ready fine tuning our plans to recover the two states we lost to other political parties. APC in their usual way of misinforming and misleading the public have come with their propaganda that the South East governors were planning to join them. Let me state it categorically that our governors elected on the platform of our great party, PDP are doing well and have shown character and commitment to their people unlike other governors on various political platforms.

“The APC is jittery and they are afraid of us having seen the dedication of party loyalists especially in the South East zone, that is why they have come up  with the propaganda. There is no truth in it and there is no reason whatsoever for our governors to join APC, these are governors that are doing wonders in their states and their people are happy with them.”

Also reacting, a former national auditor of the party Ray Nnaji said: “I wouldn’t know if the statement is true or a political propaganda to show that the APC is gathering momentum. I cannot speak for my state governor, but as at present, Enugu is a PDP state. I wouldn’t say I believe what was said or not, but the fact remains that everybody as an adult has the right to determine his political movement or interest. But our governor in Enugu cannot move without telling us; and he hasn’t mentioned or mooted such an idea.”