The sitting House of Reps member representing Udi/Ezeagu Enugu federal constituency under Labour Party, Hon. Sunday Umeha has defected to the All Progressives Congress(APC) — alongside 1k others ahead of the 2027 election.
Announcing his decision to defect to APC(Umeha) during a mini-rally at Ibagwa-Aka, in Igboeze South local government area on Saturday, Chief Joshua Ogbonna, popularly known as ‘Father Father’ also led no fewer than 1000 members of LP to join APC.
Ogbonna who is a business mogul and financier of the Labour Party in Igboeze South local government area, was the reason Umeha attended the rally, according to him(Umeha).
When he was asked why he had to come all the way since the rally was held outside his own constituency, the House of Reps member confirmed that it was in solidarity with his friend, Chief Ogbonna. He also revealed that there would be another rally to officially welcome him into APC in matter of days in Ezeagu noting that he had resigned from LP and joined the APC in his ward before hand.
The lawmaker however, stated that he defected to the APC due to the division within the national and state ranks of the LP stating that he is the first APC member to occupy elective position in Enugu state since its inception in 2014.
He added that he joined the APC “because of the need to connect to the centre and bring our people closer because there are a lot of advantages in plugging to the center.”
According to Umeha, the APC has served the interest of Igbos better than the PDP at the federal level. He cited the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway, Enugu-Port-Harcourt Expressway, 2nd Nigeria Bridge, and some of the landmark projects the current ruling party has executed in Igbo land.
Speaking on behalf of other defectors from Ibagwa-Aka local government area, Chief Joshua Ogbonna recounted how opponents wanted to stop them from defecting to APC.
He cited how the buses they hired to convey the people to the venue was seized as they had to board commercial motorcyclists.
“We are more than 1000 who defected to APC today. I’m telling you that work begins today in Igboeze South local government area; it will be ward to ward movement. I’m assuring you that Igboeze South will not come last,” he said.
As he welcomed the defectors, the APC chairman of Enugu State, Chief Ugochukwu Agballah, in his remark said the APC was getting set to overtake the seat of power come 2027 in Enugu state from the PDP. He noted that during the years the PDP have ruled (26 years), the people have only known tears, anguish and sorrow.
Giving his reason for saying so, the chairman said the PDP came with high taxation, land grabbing, and demolitions of people’s means of livelihood for the purpose of building motor parks.
Furthermore, Agballah said;
“The defection is a total collapse of structure… today I hand over to you the symbol of our party, our flag; I hand you the broom, which is an insignia of our party and with this broom we are going to sweep in good governance in Enugu state, with this broom we are going to sweep away the reactionary forces that have held our people hostage for 26 years. With this broom, we are going to bring back democracy in Enugu state.
“I want to say it here, and I want to say it loud and clear to all doubting Thomases, that APC Enugu state is poised to take over the government of Enugu come 2027.”
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