By Okechukwu Onuegbu
Barely one week after the Anambra State Congress of the All Progressives Grand Alliance APGA which produced Bar Ifeatu Obi-Okoye as Chairman, over 1,300 members of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) have declared interest to defect to the party.
Giving this indication is the lingering leadership crisis in the two political parties which has currently produced parallel Chairmen of the Labour Party and the litigations over the authentic state Chairman of the PDP.
Confirming this development, one of the local government Chairmen for APGA from Ekwusigo Council area Sir Edwin Ukorah said that some of his colleagues are being approached by members of the two parties concluding arrangements for the defection before or after the APGA National Convention billed to take place Wednesday next week.
"We are aware of what is happening and some us at the local government areas have been approached by them and that shows that our newly elected State Chairman Bar Ifeatu Obiokoye is on course to rebuild the party and reach out to members who left the party in anger to return to our party"
"The number is more than the figure that you quoted because those we have met are up to 2,000 and we give credit to our Chairman for creating that window and platform for our brothers and sisters to come back home ' he said.
Speaking to reporters earlier the Spokesman for the Labour Party Mr Jude Ezeokafor lamented the leadership crisis in the party contending that with parallel National Chairman and state Chairman the party cannot work together.
"We have Mr Peter Okoye who is claiming that Mr Ugochukwu Emeh is not the Chairman of the party in Anambra state and this is confusing and in line with the party Constitution and the Constitution of our country, members can defect to another party in the event of any leadership crisis and that is why we are joining the All Progressives Grand Alliance APGA" he said.
Elder Ben Uzor of the PDP noted that the virus over the Chairmanship position of the PDP has refused to die and at every primary election or Congresses two or more persons would come with one Court Order laying claim to one leadership position and this has always cost us victory in successive elections in this state"
Uzor further expressed happiness that the newly elected State Chairman of APGA was a member of the PDP adding that the Chairman has pedigree going by his achievements as the Chairman of the PDP before now.