Former National Organising Secretary of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Chief Emeka Atuma, has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) along with his supporters.
Atuma represented Ikwuano/Umuahia Constituency in the National Assembly between 2003 and 2007 on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), before moving to the SDP ahead of last year general elections.
The former SDP chieftain announced his entry into the APC at a ceremony in his country home in Ntalakwu Oboro, Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia. He said he is “elated” to join the APC and be part of the struggle to transform the state.
His words: “I am elated to join men and women of like minds, who are desirous to see Abia on the wings of development, because our state is backward. It is not by mistake that we are here today. We are here to form a force that will bring positive change in Abia.”
Atuma said he has realised that the change could only come through the APC. He paid tributes to leaders of the party, especially Senator Chris Adighije; former Chairman of Ikwuano, Chief Chima Ugboajah; and the APC Chairman, Chief Donatus Nwankpa, saying that they were instrumental to his joining the party.
He added: “If they desired that I be part of the force to achieve the desired change in Abia, I have no choice than to concede to the pressure.”
The former organising secretary said he was further persuaded to join the APC because of the anti-corruption stance of President Muhammadu Buhari and visible infrastructure development across the country.
Ugboajah described Atuma’s defection to the APC as a great feat for the local government area and Abia. He said: “Today is a great day for Ikwuano, Abia and entire Nigeria. It is not easy for great men to leave their comfort zone to join the APC.”
Ugboajah, who was the Director-General of Uche Ogah Governorship Campaign Organisation in 2019, regretted the party’s loss at the poll but assured the people that “in 2023, we shall recover what we lost”.
He said that the massive infrastructure deficit and underdevelopment of the state under the PDP administration called for people from all walks of life to join the struggle to deliver the state from the PDP.
He said: “Abia is the worst state in Nigeria today. If you travel to Ebonyi, which was created five years after Abia, you will weep because of the huge infrastructure decay and insecurity in Abia. What is happening in Abia is not tolerable to us and it is unacceptable to us.
“Eminent sons and daughters of Abia at home and the diaspora have said that they are no longer comfortable with the situation and have resolved to come together to rebuild the state.
“It is embarrassing, the PDP has failed woefully in Abia and I can assure you that in 2023, no matter what they do, we will recover the state.”
Also, the state chairman, Nwankpa, said that the ceremony is the beginning of an operation to deliver Abia. He added that it was an opportunity for all well-meaning indigenes to interface on how to make the state great.
Nwankpa added: “Abia must be free in our time and a member of the comity of developed states in the federation. We know that with somebody as Atuma in the APC, we are going to liberate Abia.”
He said efforts were being made to bring all the remaining four states of the Southeast into the APC “in order to join the mainstream of the nation’s politics”.
Atuma and Chinedu Kanu, who also defected from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) were later presented with the symbol of the APC, the broom and registration cards.
The event was attended by members of the party’s state working committee, local government chairmen and a former Abia State Chairman of the SDP, Chief Chidi Nwosu, who also returned to APC shortly after the 2019 polls.