From Jefferson Ibiwale, Benin

Former South-south vice chairman of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, who led other aggrieved members of the All Progressive Congress, APC, on a mass defection two weeks ago, has concluded plans to formally join the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Ize-Iyamu and other chieftains dumped the APC after falling out with governor Adams Oshiomhole over the recently concluded congresses of the party, among other reasons.
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Also dissatisfied with the way the party was being run in the state, the former vice chairman had asked Oshiomhole to sack four key government appointees and allow his faction produce the state chairman of the APC.

He also requested the cancellation of the party’s registration, as well as the ward and local government congresses earlier conducted.

But Oshiomhole, who had cancelled a previous congress, declined these requests and has been engaging aggrieved members of the party on talks aimed at appeasing them to rescind their stand.

The talks seem to be yielding results, as some members who had earlier announced their defection have turned round to claim loyalty to the party, alleging that they were deceived into resigning their appointments and denouncing the APC.

One of the defectors, Patrick Igbinaken, said as a founding member of the APC, nothing could make him desert a house he helped to build.

“I am one of the founders of the party, so I cannot see myself leaving the party. I am fully with APC. My purported resignation from the APC was not intentional. It was due to grievances,” he said.

Igbinaken further explained, “The meeting we attended was not for resignation. It was not what we bargained for. It was when we got there that they said resign, resign. I am still part of APC. The meeting I attended was by mistake. I thought it was a meeting of all the members of the APC. I am backing out of that meeting. I am fully with the APC”.