Reps member dumps PDP, blames Wike for crisis in party

A member of the House of Representatives from Imo State, Ikenga Ugochinyere, on Wednesday, defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the Action Peoples Party (APP).

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Mr Ugochinyere, who represents Ideato North and South Federal Constituency, joined the APP at his country home in Akokwa Community in Ideato North Local Government Area of Imo State.

Speaking during the event, the federal lawmaker explained that he defected to the APP from the PDP because of an “unending crisis” in the party.

He accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike, of being responsible for the crisis in the PDP.

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“So what is the point I’m making; that from the day one we started with PDP to this afternoon, we are still in court with our party in a bid to retain the seat that for over 15 years they never won until we brought victory to them.

“Now that we survived all these ordeals in the last three, four years, should we try it again? No,” he said, lamenting that some PDP members even testified against him in court.

Mr Ugochinyere also accused Mr Wike and his loyalists in the PDP of changing the executives of the party in Imo State and installing Austin Nwachukwu as its state chairperson.

“So we decided to exit from PDP, and today my (APP) National Chairman, Barr Uche Nnadi, has admitted me into the hall of a party of great men and great minds.

“I want to thank our national chairman for driving our party to this point where great minds are joining the party, where today the party has recorded its first seat in the federal parliament, with the second seat arriving in the coming days,” he said.

Messrs Wike and Nwachukwu belong to the same faction of the PDP.

The duo were among the people expelled from the party over alleged anti-party activities by a faction of the PDP led by its National Chairperson, Kabiru Turaki.

Another faction of the party backed by Mr Wike is being led by its Acting National Chairperson, Abdulrahman Mohammed.

Meanwhile, Mr Ugochinyere has been critical of Mr Wike in recent times mainly due to his alleged role in the previous political crisis and current tension in Rivers State.

‘Call Wike to order’

Mr Ugochinyere, while announcing his defection to the APP, called on President Bola Tinubu to advise Mr Wike to desist from allegedly insulting the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, John Azuta-Mbata.

The lawmaker stressed that Igbos cannot tolerate insults to the Ohanaeze president, adding that verbal attacks allegedly from the FCT minister amounted to hostilities against the Igbos.

READ ALSO: FACT CHECK: Did Vice-President Shettima tell Wike that Fubara is Rivers APC leader?

“Mr President, when your minister attacks our tribe, it is a declaration of hostilities on the Igbo nation, especially when he is not called to order.

“Listen to what the Igbo people have said. Stay away from Nyesom Wike. He’s an enemy of our people for having the audacity to insult our president. We must make that message clear to him. Don’t invite him to any Igbo gathering,” he said.