More Trouble for PDP as Another National Assembly Lawmaker Defects to APC, Officially Writes Buhari

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More Trouble for PDP as Another National Assembly Lawmaker Defects to APC, Officially Writes Buhari

A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member of the Federal House of Representatives, Emmanuel Ukoette, who represents Uruk Anam/Ukanafun Federal Constituency, Akwa Ibom State, has defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC).

In an official letter he wrote to Gideon Samani, the Senior Special Assistant on Political Matters to President Muhammadu Buhari, the federal lawmaker who won election to the House under the platform of the PDP, announced his defection on Monday.

Ukoette said in the letter that he was leaving the party because of “the rudderless nature of the (party) leadership”.

His defection is coming 32 days after a PDP senator, Nelson Effiong, also from the state, defected to the APC on January 19, and had hinted that more senators would be leaving the PDP.

While speaking to Premium Times, Ukoette said that besides the “animosity” within the PDP, there was so much uncertainty about the future of the party, adding that he and his federal constituency have been marginalized in the state.

“The sharing formula of the dividends of democracy in the PDP has been faulty, and I have made persistent complaints about this without redress. I feel that to key my people into the mainstream of national development, my movement to the APC is inevitable.

“I am also seeing a situation whereby I will team up with other progressives to salvage Akwa Ibom from the grip of a certain few hawks who have formed an oligarchy in order to enslave and perpetually keep Akwa Ibom in a state of ruin,” he said.

The lawmaker said it was erroneous to think that the PDP is in control of Akwa Ibom State. “I want to tell you that come 2019, the APC shall win Akwa Ibom. I want it to be on record that I said it,” he said.