A former Delta State governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, yesterday formally joined the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Uduaghan, who collected the APC membership card at his Warri, GRA residence, was received into the party by its Delta South Women Leader, Alero Tenumah; the party’s Chairman in Abigborodo Ward 6, Mr. George Ino, and other party leaders in the ward and local government levels.
The ex-governor, whose new APC membership card reads: ‘Delta WRN//023/32001’, praised the party’s leaders for their solidarity and honour.
He assured them of synergy and continuous working relationship towards further development of Delta State.
The Nation gathered that the ex-governor’s daughter and Delta State Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Community Support Services and Child Development, Ms. Orode Uduaghan, also picked her APC membership card from the ward’s leadership of the party.
Tenumah urged new members to contribute meaningfully to the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as well as the M.O.R.E Agenda of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori.
She assured Dr. Uduaghan of a robust working relationship aimed at strengthening the party in Warri North Local Government Area and across the state.
Also, the senator representing Kano South, Kawu Sumaila, yesterday dumped the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on the floor of the Senate.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio read Sumaila’s defection letter on the floor of the Senate.
In the letter addressed to the Senate leadership and titled: “Notification of defection from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) to the All Progressive Congress (APC),” Sumaila hinged his decision on compelling and undeniable developments within the party, which he said have rendered the party severely divided and dysfunctional.
The letter reads: “Pursuant to Section 68, subsection 1 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended, I write to the Senate President on behalf of the Senate.
“I write to formally notify the Senate through your esteemed office of my defection from the NNPP to the APC, the largest party in Africa.
“My decision to bid goodbye to the NNPP is anchored on compelling and undeniable developments within the party, which have rendered the party severely divided and dysfunctional.
“Over the past months, I have observed a growing number of litigations that have practically torn the party apart and left its structure fractured.
“All of these clearly centered on issues of party disunity, functional leadership, and the legitimacy of its operations.
“These legal battles have not only eroded internal cohesion but have created parallel and conflicting authorities within the party.”
After Akpabio had read the letter, APC senators moved en mass to welcome Sumaila into the ruling party.
They led him to his new seat on the aisle of the majority party.
With the development, the APC now has 65 senators, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 33, Labour Party (LP) five, Social Democratic Party (SDP) two, and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) one, bringing the total number of senators to 107 with two vacant seats.