In protest against alleged hijack of the party by governor Adams Oshiomole of Edo State, a chieftain of the All Peoples Congress, Solomon Edebiri, has dumped the party for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Edebiri was the governorship candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, in the 2012 governorship election but his party had merged with Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC and a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, to form the All Progressive Congress, APC, in 2013.

The defector described the Edo chapter of the APC as a “limited liability company, where governor Oshiomole is the manager,” adding that the lack of internal democracy and other anti-democratic tendencies of the old ACN were carried over to the APC.

Giving reasons for dumping the opposition, he expressed the belief that the political aspirations of his people cannot be met within the APC, adding “I hereby without regret denounce my membership of APC and join the PDP along with my followers from this day onward.”

He said he did not take the decision for himself alone but for the over 100,000 party members who believe in his philosophy.

‎The state PDP chairman, Dan Orbih, who received the former governorship ‎candidate and other defectors, including a Woman Leader in the APC, Kate Asemota, and members of the Edo Boys Group, said the occasion would mark better days ahead for the party.

He accused Oshiomhole of abandoning the people of the state upon his assumption of office, adding that citizens have been impoverished through oppressive tax policies and failed electoral promises.

Orbih also called on other APC members, who are still undecided about joining the PDP to “come home” as the party was prepared to receive them to its fold.”