A former candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance for the November 6 Anambra Governorship Election, Chukwuma Umeoji, has defected to the All Progressives Congress.
Umeoji, a member of the House of Representatives, was at various times the governorship candidate of APGA in the lead up to the November 6 governorship election in Anambra State.
However, a judicial topsy-turvy saw him being replaced with Prof Chukwuma Soludo at least on two occasions before a final court order which dismissed his candidacy and upheld that of Soludo.
In a statement on Saturday, factional APGA National Publicity Secretary, Ikechukwu Chukwunyere, said the legislator representing Aguata (Anambra) federal Constituency has now joined the APC.
The Caretaker Committee Chairman of the APC, Governor Mai Mala Buni, the statement added, had received Umeoji with excitement.
“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 statement read.
“This is clearly not the best of times for the APGA as the November 6 Anambra State governorship election draws nearer.
“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 that hit APGA like a thunderbolt is that of the party’s former governorship candidate in the election who is also a top-ranking legislator representing Aguata (Anambra) Federal Constituency, Hon. Chukwuma Umeoji.
“APGA’s loss in the person of Umeoji is a political gain for the All Progressives Congress. The highly elated Yobe State Governor and Chairman APC Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Mai Mala Buni, personally received Umeoji to the party on Friday and promised him equal opportunities with other leading members of the ruling party.”
