Ahead of the governorship and House of Assembly elections on Saturday, the Labour Party (LP) has said that the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia State was literally non-existent any longer.
The party said that what was left of the PDP was its carcass which it said would be finally defeated and “buried” in Saturday’s elections.
The remark was a rebuttal to some report that about 3000 members of the party led by one Maduka Akpulonu in Obingwa Local government area of the state jilted it for the PDP on Tuesday.
A statement titled “Akpulonu, others not decampees from Labour Party (Labour Party) Obingwa LGA but expelled betrayers” co-signed by the chairman, Obingwa West Stakeholders, Dr. Eric Egwuibe and the Coordinator, Obingwa West Constituency, Maxwell Nwadike and made available to Vanguard stated that Akpulonu has long been expelled for anti-party activities.
It described Akpulonu “as a serial betrayer and political merchant who can trade his own soul for pecuniary and selfish interests.”
Refuting the report of any decampee from its fold, the party stated that its membership in the local government was intact, assiduously working to win the election for its governorship candidate, Dr. Alex Otti and other State Assembly candidates on Saturday.
The statement read thus: “The attention of Labour Party in Obingwa Local government of Abia State has been drawn to some report that 3000 of its members led by one Maduka Akpulonu had decamped to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
“We wish to place it on record that no member of the people’s oriented party, the Labour Party in the local government has decamped to PDP or any other party.
“Labour Party and her teeming members in the local government are together, working assiduously day and night to ensure that our gubernatorial candidate, Dr. Alex Otti and others for the State Assembly emerge victorious in Saturday’s elections.
“For purposes of recapitulation, Akpulonu has since been expelled from the Labour Party for anti-party activities.
“He is widely known as a serial betrayer and political merchant who can trade his own soul for pecuniary and selfish interests. His ignoble penchant for money politics is commonplace.
“The Labour Party is the conscience of the society which has come to liberate Abia from the orgy of bad governance and political miasma permeated by the PDP government since 1999.
“It is therefore not for personal aggrandizement and the likes of Akpulonu naturally abhor such an atmosphere and cannot fit in.
“The report was only meant to hoodwink the unsuspecting members of the public and the electorate who are poised to bury the PDP in Saturday’s elections.
“Recall that in the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly polls, Labour Party trashed the PDP in all facets and spheres of the state, winning the Abia Central senatorial District Seat in the Senate out of 3 and also 6 in the House of Representatives out of 8 seats.
“We are not surprised that the sinking PDP so roundly beaten and rejected in the State can now concoct all manner of political narratives, shopping for expelled betrayers to raise the number of the so called decampees to save face ahead of Saturday’s elections.
“We make bold to say that what is left of the PDP is its carcass that will be finally buried on Saturday.
“For a party that has already seen its imminent annihilation, it’s no surprise that it will recruit the likes of Akpulonu for some hatchet jobs.
“How can a party with no seat in the Senate, struggled to win one seat in the House of Representatives be talking about 3000 decampees from a winning Labour Party at this time? This can be come from a party of lies. All members of the Labour Party in Obingwa are in touch with Otti and are working for victory on Saturday”.