Mass defection looms in C'River APC as 'original members' accuse Buhari of neglect

The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress, APC, over the conduct of its governorship and National Assembly primaries is taking a turn for the worse, as thousands of its members are set to defect from the party.

A group, Cross River APC Vanguard, in a statement issued on Monday, in Calabar by it Spokesman, Eyo Henshaw, disclosed that thousands of its followers, which he described as the original members of the party in the state, have perfected plans to switch camp and dump the APC, owing to what it called apparent hijack by elements from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The original members, according to the group, were those who had been with President Mohammadu Buhari right from his days in “Siberia” in CPC, noting, however, that they have completely been sidelined in the affairs of the party and gradually being edged out by the latter day joiners from the PDP.

“We find it troubling and worrisome that the governorship candidate who is recognized by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, Senator John Owan Enoh, was until recently a member of the PDP.

As if this was not bad enough, he picked Ntufam Ekpo Okon as his running mate barely two days after Okon contested and lost the senate ticket of the PDP for Cross River South. Was this a mere coincidence? I do not think so,” quipped Eyo Henshaw, spokesman for the group.

The group lamented that President Buhari has not protected them, despite being his followers for years.

“It is becoming clearer by the day that those of us who have been with Mr. President since his days in political wilderness have been abandoned and left to regret our support for all these years.

Imagine how a man like the Minister of Niger Delta, Pastor Usani Usani, who was with the President in CPC, is being treated with so much disregard.

He is being ridiculed by the party he suffered to nurture. It is as if he is nobody in the party.

Elements from the PDP have hijacked our party and are having a field day. We are not going to remain in the party and continue to suffer such shame. Enough is enough", the statement added.