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Politics of Tuesday, 17 January 2023

Source: www.legit.ng

Akume's kinsmen defect in droves from APC to PDP, cite oppression as reason

The photo used to illustrate the story The photo used to illustrate the story

Thousands of kinsmen of a former governor of Benue state, Senator George Akume, defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday, January 16.

Akume is currently President Muhammadu Buhari's minister of special duties and inter-governmental affairs.

In his hometown of Wannune in Tarka local government area, the PDP received thousands of decampees, according to a statement sent to Legit.ng by Bemgba Iortyom, Benue PDP publicity secretary and 2023 campaign spokesman.

The leader of the defectors, Hon. Dennis Tser aka Baba Denny, speaking on behalf of the others, expressed their tiredness with “being on an unrewarding side of the political divide where only the leader, Akume, and his inner family circle get to benefit and feed fat while every other person continues to suffer.”

He pointed to recent events where Akume made his wife Regina Akume the House of Reps candidate of the APC for Gboko/Tarka federal constituency after a younger distant relation of the minister had been favoured by majority of APC faithful in the area for the ticket.

He also pointed to when Akume appointed himself and his wife Regina among the 3 national delegates from Tarka to the APC Presidential Convention in Abuja late last year as evidence of impunity and insensitivity.

According to him, such actions over time characterized the former governor's style of leadership. Another defector who spoke at the event said that APC in Benue should best be described as "Akume's Personal Company"

The decampees openly burnt their APC membership cards as well as hundreds of brooms which symbolise the party, as they were received into the PDP and promised equal opportunities as the old members.

Highlights of the event included the presentation of Engr. Titus Tyoapine Uba to the people as the PDP governorship candidate for the 2023, who promised to consolidate on and build on the legacy of the Ortom administration when voted into power.