Anxiety has enveloped the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following alleged moves by two of its governors to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Reliable party sources told The Nation that despite the tough stance of PDP chieftains during its national conference in Abuja last week, many participants at the gathering were actually jittery on account of reports that some of the party’s governors might be on their way to the APC.
“There is anxiety in the party over reports that two of our governors, not one, are currently negotiating their exit from the party. We are worried. Any serious party would be worried,” a party chieftain said.
“This development was widely discussed amongst participants at the last conference in Abuja though we all agreed it should form part of our agenda for the meeting,” the source, a Senator from the South-West, declared.
Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State is cited as one of the governors planning to defect along with other prominent PDP members in the state.
The governor was conspicuously absent at the Abuja confab.
A former director of the governor’s election in Afikpo, Azu Agboti, has already crossed to the APC.
Agboti once represented Ebonyi South Senatorial zone in the Upper Chambers.
It was learnt that he may not be the last PDP chieftain to dump the party.
The governor recently said he had no reason to want to quit the PDP.
His alleged plot to dump the party has caused a strain in his relationship with former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Pius Anyim Pius.
Also said to be planning to dump the PDP for the APC is a governor from the Northeast.
Some of his close political associates recently joined the ruling party.
The northeast governor in question was in attendance at the Abuja conference of the party where efforts to re-brand and reposition the party ahead of 2019 general elections were discussed.
The Nation learnt that party leaders took chieftains present to task on alleged defection plots.
The source said: “Although it was not officially part of the agenda, the leadership of the party tasked chieftains on the need to remain in the PDP and shun all plots to decamp.
“And in various private discussions, the issue came up severally, giving indications that the party is really concerned over the reports.
“There is no way we will succeed in re-branding and repositioning the party ahead of 2019 general elections, as was planned at the confab if at the end of the day, it turned out to be true that two of our remaining Governors have been plotting to ditch the party.”
