The Nasarawa State deputy governor, Dameshi Luka, says he was never a registered member of the All Progressive Congress, APC, and therefore was baffled at his suspension by the party.

Luka said this on Tuesday at the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, secretariat in Lafia, where he had gone to submit a letter of intent to join the party.

He said that his purported suspension from the All Progressive Congress, APC, while he was away in the U.S.A. did not follow conventional procedure and was targeted at humiliating him and that his disinterest to register with the party was due to the “attitude of exclusion” exhibited by its leadership.

“My disinterest to register with the APC is not unconnected with the attitude of exclusion exhibited by the leadership of the party with the active collaboration of the governor.

Consequently, I and my teaming supporters across the state have decided to move over to the PDP with immediate effect,” Luka said.

The deputy governor alleged that he was accused of disloyalty to the party by honouring President Goodluck Jonathan’s invitation to accompany him on the 2013 pilgrimage to Israel.

He said the state governor, Umaru Al-Makura misinterpreted the spiritual obligation as a plan being hatched to unseat him.

Luka said he indeed opposed the directive of the APC leadership to its members in the National Assembly to block all executive bills, including 2014 Appropriation Bill, because he believes that national interest should supersede personal or party interests.

“I want to reiterate that as a patriotic citizen, I stand firmly on that statement and insist that national interest must supersede party or any other interests,” he stressed.

Nasarawa State chairman of the PDP, Yunana Ilya, likened Luka’s action to the biblical prodigal son, adding that the party was glad to have him back under its umbrella.

Iliya said the deputy governor and others who recently defected to the PDP would soon be hosted to a grand reception to be graced by the national leadership of the party.