Influential Southern Senator Dumps PDP, Exposes Party's Wrongdoing in Full Letter
- The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has lost another senator to an opposition party ahead of the 2023 elections
- Senator Bassey Akpan, Akwa Ibom Northeast, announced his defection to the YPP in a letter read by the Senate president on Wednesday, July 20
- The federal lawmaker said he left the PDP due to the mismanagement of the party's governorship primaries in Akwa Ibom
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National Assembly, Abuja - Senator Bassey Akpan has defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the Young People’s Party (YPP) ahead of the 2023 general elections.
In the resignation letter forwarded to the upper chamber of the National Assembly on Wednesday, July 20, the senator representing Akwa-Ibom Northeast explained that his defection followed agitations amongst members of the party.
Source: Facebook
Akpan said members of the party in Akwa Ibom were dissatisfied with the absence of a level playing field during the governorship primaries in the state.
The full letter, posted on the senator's verified Facebook page, was read at the start of the plenary by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan.
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Full text of Senator Akpan's defection letter
“I write to notify Your Excellency, the President of the Senate, the Senate leadership and the entire Senate of my resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with effect from July 15, 2022.
“I must admit that the PDP has offered me the opportunity to serve several capacities in government over the years, including serving as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and I remain grateful to the party to that extent.
“However, it is now clear to me and my supporters that the centre can no longer hold in the Akwa-lbom state chapter of the PDP since the party hierarchy decided to adopt and favour only one preferred candidate before and during the governorship primaries.
“The determination of the state chapter of the Party to support the preferred candidate could not even be halted by every attempt to call for a level playing field and its associated controversies.
“In view of the foregoing, the agitations have led to serious rancour and some steep differences in the ranks of the party and this has presented me with a compelling reason to consult my people on our future in the PDP.
“I must state that my supporters had earlier presented me with a nomination form after paying for same to encourage me to contest the party primaries for nomination of the Governorship candidate of the party but unfortunately, events leading to the party primaries for the governorship made it impossible for me to participate in the primaries.
“Therefore, I am constrained to bow to the wish of my people who have advised that in view of the state of affairs that exist now in the party, I should resign my membership of the party.
“As a result of the foregoing, I resigned my membership of the PDP and now joined the Young Progressives Party (YPP) which now becomes my new party.
“I thank you for your support and understanding. Please accept my sincere regards.”
Legit.ng gathers that Senator Bassey’s defection brings the number of serving senators in the YPP to two.
2023: Ebonyi PDP crisis deepens over membership status of factional governorship candidate
In another report, there is a growing disparity in the camp of the PDP Ebonyi chapter in the build-up to the gubernatorial elections of the state in 2023.
This is as the membership status of Chief Ifeanyi Odii (aka Anyichuks) the PDP’s factional governorship candidate is in doubt at present.
Elder Fred Udeogu, a former caretaker committee chairman of the PDP, made this known on Monday, July 18 alleging that Odii was never a member of the party.
Source: Legit.ng
