Mass Defection Rock Akwa Ibom PDP: Why They Are All Moving!!!

PDP

For over 16 years, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP had a strong grip on Akwa Ibom State but all that is about to change as the party is facing its biggest threat yet in the state; the All Progressives Congress, APC. PDP has recently been hit by massive defections, the party also recently suffered other recent unfortunate events which included the ruling at the tribunal which was not in their favour. Givng the kind of popularity PDP has in the state, a lot of people are wondering the reason behind the massive exodus from the party. In this piece, INFORMATION NIGERIA has put together the reasons the defectors are defecting…

1. After weeks of legal battle over the governorship election in Akwa Ibom state, the tribunal nullified the election in 18 out of the 31 local government areas of the state, dealing the PDP its first blow.

2. The APC candidate approached the appeal court, insisting that elections in the entire state be nullified, the PDP also queried the initial cancellation of election in 18 local government areas by the tribunal and urged the upper court to set aside the election and declare its candidate, Udom Emmanuel, as governor.
3. The appeal court nullified election in the entire state and ordered a rerun in 90 days. This deepened the PDP crisis.
4. Though, the PDP and its candidate approached the Supreme Court to ask that the ruling be upturned, observers say people in the state seem to have lost confidence in the party, and are now pitching tent with the APC, because of its reported growing popularity.
5. The growing popularity of the APC is evident in the large number of people who attended a rally organised by the party. The rally was to honour victims of election violence and Umana Umana, for APC’s victory at the court and to receive defectors into the party.
6. The defectors were led by the former chairman of the PDP in the state, Chief Otu Ita Toyo, who hails from the same senatorial district as the governor, Udom Emmanuel. The defectors also included many top members of the PDP.
7. The highest number of high profile defections are recorded in Eket and Ikot-Ekpene senatorial zones, where the governor, Udom Emmanuel and former governor Godswill Akpabio, hail from.
Political analysts are of the view that the apex court’s ruling will not be different from that of the tribunal and the appellate court, do you agree???