After Abe’s exit, SDP collapses structure, joins PDP

Barely four days after the governorship candidate of Social Democratic Party (SDP), Magnus Abe, dumped the party and returned to the All Progressives Congress (APC), some party members and supporters of SDP in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Council of Rivers State have dumped the party and collapsed its structure to join the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The defectors were received by the enforcers of good governance led by Kingsley Ogu, yesterday.

Abe, one of the major political actors in Rivers State politics, has a good number of supporters; hence, political observers said his return to APC would shake the landscape of the state’s politics.

Speaking, one of the defectors and the Chairman, Rivers Voice of Freedom, Orukwo Ugochukwu, said that the return of SDP members to PDP was done in good conscience, having carefully studied the blueprint and performance of Governor Siminalayi Fubara in the last seven months of his administration.

He maintained that the Rivers Voice of Freedom was Abe’s political strength during his governorship sojourn in 2023, as the group moved from door-to-door sensitising and mobilising for freedom of Rivers people.
Ogu reiterated the commitment of the group to the leadership of the executive governor of Rivers State. He particularly applauded the goodwill remarks of President Bola Tinubu in favour of the governor, saying it would boost investors’ confidence in the state.

Ogu further called on political gladiators to sheath their swords and allow peace to reign in the state to harness the developmental drives of the governor.

On his part, the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Prince Isaac Umejuru, while receiving the defectors alongside ward 8 Chairman of the PDP, in Onelga, celebrated them for taking the bold step to join the SIMplified family. He assured them of having equal rights like every other stakeholder in the party.

Other stakeholders in goodwill messages reassures the returnees of stability and opportunities for growth in the state under the leadership of Fubara.