Governor Okezie Ikpeau of Abia state, has finally put to rest the speculation of his imminent defection from the People Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling party of the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying that he is still a member of the party, and will remain so.
Okezie Ikpeazu who has been rumoured to be one of the PDP Governors since 2020 looking to defect to APC, in a social media post on Thursday 15th July 2021, by Chief John Okiyi Kalu, who is the Honorable Commissioner for Information, Abia State, quoted the Governor as saying:
“Let me say it, perhaps for the last time, that I’m in the PDP and will remain in PDP. There’s nothing I want that I cannot get in PDP. I’m saying this publicly again because members of the BoT of our party are here.
“I have good friends in other parties and I appreciate their desire to have me in their party, but the PDP is where I am and where I’ll remain,” Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, was quoted to have said.
The PDP so far have lost three governors to the ruling party of APC. From the likes of Professor Ben Ayade, the Governor Cross River State, who dumped the party six months after his Ebonyi state counterpart, David Umahi, to that of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle.
The earlier report and although unconfirmed, was that a serving commissioner in Ikpeazu’s government shortly after Ayade’s defection revealed that Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu has concluded plans to join his former party men to the APC.
Ikpeazu’s reason for wanting to defect as rumoured then, was connected with his ill-treatment by the de facto governor of the state.
PDP is challenging some of these defections in court, while APC are pushing for more opposition Governors to join them, as political parties prepare for the 2023 general elections, especially, that of the President.