A House of Representatives member (name withheld) from Ebonyi State has been said to have concluded plans to join the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
A source who spoke to our correspondent under the condition of anonymity said the House of Reps Member won last election under the platform of Labour Party.
According to the source, “yes, a House of Reps Member who is a first timer and won the seat under Labour Party will soon join the ruling party, APC”.
“Plans have been concluded and barely any minute change of date, his defection will be announced in May, that’s next month.”
Recall that Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and his predecessor, Ifeanyi Okowa, formally joined the All Progressives Congress recently.
At a ceremony in Asaba, they were received by Vice President Kashim Shettima, APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje, and Governor Hope Uzodimma, among others.
Also, Governors Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), Peter Mbah (Enugu), Abba Yusuf (Kano), and suspended Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara have been named as the next big catches for the ruling party.
“It is not a rumour. It is happening; those four governors – Eno, Mbah, Yusuf and Fubara — are on their way to joining the APC,” a senior party source confirmed.
Officials at the APC national secretariat in Abuja also corroborated the development, pointing to an aggressive recruitment drive spearheaded by the President and top party leaders.
The anticipated defections come on the heels of last Wednesday’s surprise defection by Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, his predecessor Ifeanyi Okowa, and the entire PDP structure in the state to the APC. Their move was announced by Senator James Manager after a six-hour meeting at the Government House in Asaba.
Meanwhile, concerns have emerged over the tactics allegedly employed to secure these defections. A senior source cited the alleged Tinubu’s secret meeting with Fubara in London as a possible example of backroom pressure. The meeting reportedly took place at Fubara’s request following his suspension and the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.
A source familiar with the situation said, “It was at that meeting that we believed Fubara must have been coaxed into considering the idea of defection as part of the arrangement to return his mandate. We also have reasons to suspect that Governor Eno’s potential move to the APC is linked to his predecessor and godfather’s alleged corruption case with the EFCC.”
Regarding Kano, the source stated that Tinubu had intensified reconciliation efforts between former Governors Abdullahi Ganduje and Rabiu Kwankwaso to pave the way for Yusuf’s defection.
“In the coming days, the news of Abba Yusuf’s defection will be made public because he will officially move to the APC with his mentor. We all know Kano is too big a state for Tinubu to ignore politically,” he added.
