Members of the Senator Ali Modu Sheriff-led de legitimized
leadership of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, are set to commence a phased defection
to All Progressives Congress, APC...
The process is to kick-start this weekend
with the defection of Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, Sheriff’s deputy, and the leadership
of Delta State PDP faction that was inclined to Sheriff. Dr. Ojougboh, a former
national vice-chairman, South-South of the PDP, subsequently took office as the
deputy national chairman of the Sheriff led faction of the party during the
recent crisis. Senator Alimodu Sheriff Sources close to the APC and the members
of the now de legitimized Sheriff-led PDP faction disclosed yesterday that the
Dr. Cairo’s defection would begin a series of defections by members of the
faction to the APC. The source disclosed that those aligned to Sheriff were
particularly displeased by the failure of the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led
leadership to wave the olive branch after the court victory that delegitimised
Sheriff as the party’s national chairman. “They labelled us offenders and can
you believe that up till today that neither Makarfi nor any of the NWC members
has reached out to us, instead they are debating whether we deserve amnesty or
not. “This is not the way to go and we cannot be rendered irrelevant, so we are
coming out to show our strength,” the source a close associate of Sheriff told
Vanguard over the telephone. Another source also confirmed that the APC in
Delta State would roll out the carpet to welcome Dr Ojougboh into the APC.
Vanguard learnt yesterday that apart from Dr. Ojougbo that the entire structure
of the faction loyal to Sheriff in the state from ward level to members of the
state executive council would also be defecting to the APC. Major APC
stakeholders within and outside the state are being invited for the declaration
rally to give colour to the event, it was further gathered. Meanwhile, Dr Ojougbo’s
defection it was gathered would be the first as other senior associates of
Sheriff in the PDP would periodically also declare for the APC. “We will leave
the party as an empty carcass for them,” the source said.
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