Ahead of Anambra state governorship election scheduled for November 6, the former frontline governorship candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and current member of the House of Representatives, representing Aguata Federal Constituency in Anambra state, Hon. Chukwuma Umeoji, has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) along with two House of Assembly members and several party supporters.
Umeoji defection has been regarded as a big blow to APGA as a political party.
The APC Caretaker Committee Chairman, Governor Mai Mala Buni, while receiving Hon. Umeoji, described him as the game changer for the election.
He declared that with this, APC was a lot more surer of winning the election.
With this development, APGA has lost its simple majority in the House of Assembly and has become a minority party in the state, while APC has become the majority party in the State House of Assembly.
The gale of defection that has so far hit the ruling party in the state in the build up to the election is clearly an indication that APGA has lost its political grip on the state and hence may lose the forthcoming election.
The latest defection of APGA’s former governorship candidate, who is also a top ranking legislator, Umeoji, is a political gain for the APC.
Mala Buni, who personally received Hon Umeoji to the party on Friday, promised him equal opportunities with other leading members of the ruling party.
Buni had told Umeoji that “APC will stand for you and your supporters, and protect your political interests at all times. You will enjoy every privilege enjoyed by every member of the party.”
It was gathered that all the last minute efforts made by the Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, and the party’s governorship candidate, Charles Soludo, to stop Umeoji from leaving the party failed.
Umeoji’s defection is not the only one unsettling APGA in Anambra State. The party has also lost its majority position in the state House of Assembly with two other state lawmakers dumping the party.
The defection of the Njikoka and Awka South lawmakers, coming after the recent mass defection of APGA lawmakers had made the party to lose its leadership role in the state legislature.
This is also after the state Deputy Governor, Nkem Okeke, has defected from APGA to APC.
All signs are already pointing to the fact that APGA has lost out in the state and the forthcoming election may be the last straw that will break the carmel’s back.
