By Nelson Ogbu
The electoral fortunes of the Peoples' Democratic Party, PDP in Benue South Senatorial District have further accentuated with the defection of Hon John Ikabokwu and Hon John Anyebe aka Scotty and other prominent politicians into the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Akpa district of Otukpo Local Government Area.
Others who also decamped at the well attended ceremony with party leaders from across the district on Sunday November 28th, 2021 held at the Methodist Primary School Otobi, included Hon Mrs. Justina Oogwu who until her decamping was the APC Women Leader, Hon Adikwu Samson Eji, former councilor Otobi ward as well as Mr Sunday Odaba and 518 of their supporters.
Also Mr. Emmanuel Edoga who retired as Director from Benue Internal Revenue Service, BIRS, and many of his supporters were registered with the PDP.
Leader of PDP in Akpa, Comrade Abba Adaudu while receiving the defectors and their leaders, assured them of equal opportunities in the PDP, expressing the hope that the party will takeover leadership of the country in 2023 and return Nigeria to its lost glorious days.
Abba enumerated development projects in the disrrict by the past government at the center as against the present hardship brought to Akweya people stressing that PDP has really done what others never did for his place since inception of democracy.
Chairman of Otukpo local government council, Chief George Alli urged the people of Akpa to do away with divisive politics and team up so as to make the party stronger in their domain and promised equal opportunity to all decampees.
In their separate remarks, Benue State Women Leader of PDP, Mrs. Abeje Egwa, Former Deputy Speaker Benue State House of Assembly, Hon Egli Ahubi and Former House of Representatives Member, Otukpo/ Ohimini, Rt Hon Ezekiel Agbaji said Nigeria has lost virtually everything under the APC-led administration, pointing out that only the PDP would redeem Nigeria in 2023 and expressed joy over the return of many into the PDP family.
Hon Scotty who spoke on behalf of the defectors described the APC as a party that has reduced them to prisoners and refugees in their own father's land, saying the road to the party leads to nowhere and thanked the leader of PDP in the district, Comr Adaudu and other leaders for facilitating their return to PDP.
Otukpo Local Government Chairman of the PDP, Hon Godwin Ochapa, who was represented by the vice chairman, Mr Edache Onjefu received the defectors into the party and handed them over to the leader of the party in the area, Comrade Abba Adaudu while party flags were presented to leaders of the defectors drawn from the APC and All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA.
Present at the ceremony were legislative leaders of Otukpo and Ohimini Local Government Councils, elected and appointed councilors, former councillors across the Local government, local government and ward party executives, leaders of thoughts, party stalwarts and faithful turned out in large numbers to grace the event
