Member representing Ukanafun/Orukanam Federal Constituency, Emmanuel Ukoette, has told the House of Representatives that he had dumped his party, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) because of the leadership crisis rocking the PDP.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, while reading the letter from Rep Emmanuel Ukoette notifying the Green Chambers of his defection explained that Ukoette had already enrolled his membership with the APC in his ward.
In the letter, Ukoette cited the irreconcilable division in the PDP over who leads the party as the major reason for defection, saying: “Palpable divides leave me confused as I don’t believe in any of these factions.”
He also said the party has deviated from the ideals of the founding fathers of PDP, making reference to the current string of legal battles the party is embroiled in. Ukoette added that he and his federal constituency had also 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.
“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.
Meanwhile, Rep. Leo Ogor, the House Minority Leader, reacted to the defection, stating that there was no serious problem within the PDP and described the current situation as “a little heat in the kitchen.”
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