No fewer than 27,000 registered members of the ruling All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party in Nasarawa State have declared their intention to defect to the Labour Party ahead of the 2023 general elections.
According to the LP, plans have been concluded to receive the APC and PDP defectors into its fold in the first week of September, 2022.
Nasarawa State LP Chairman, Alexander Emmanuel, disclosed this on Saturday while inaugurating a new office donated to the party by youth and women groups in Agyaragu community, Obi Local Government Area of the state.
Emmanuel said the 27,000 defectors from the APC and PDP were in addition to the party’s one million supporters drawn from 56 support groups across the 13 LGAs of the state.
According to him, “These 27,000 defectors are those who indicated interest to join our party within the last two weeks. It was after the one-million-man march that was held in Lafia LGA for our presidential candidate, Peter Obi, that they came to declare support for our party and preparation is on top gear to receive them by the first week of September.
“Today, we are in Agyaragu to inaugurate this party office which was donated by the youth and women in the community through the Crowd Power support group for Peter Obi.
“You can see the turn-out of people in a short notice. In fact, we are happy with the level of support that we are getting on a daily basis. I am confident that the Labour Party will win the 2023 presidential, governorship and other elections.”
The LP candidate for the Lafia/Obi Federal constituency, Agum Akpandam, who also spoke on the occasion, said the failure of the ruling party to provide good governance for the people, was what prompted his decision to join the contest to challenge the incumbent House of Representatives member.
Akpandam assured that if given the mandate, he would sponsor bills that would improve the living conditions of his constituents.
“This set of leaders has failed us. My people are suffering and that is why I have come to change the narrative. If I am voted into office in 2023, I will sponsor bills that will cushion the effect of the harsh economic realities on my constituents,” he said.