Senate Minority Leader of the Nigerian National Assemble, Enyinnaya Abaribe, has joined the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) after his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Abaribe, who lost the governorship ticket of the PDP in Abia State, will be contesting for the senatorial ticket of APGA for the Abia South senatorial district.
Senator Abribe had, in a letter to the PDP Ward Chairman in his ward, Ward 5, Obingwa Local Government Area, Abia State, dated May 24, 2022, communicated his resignation to the PDP leadership before notifying the leadership of the Senate of his resignation as Minority Leader.
Senator Abaribe in the resignation letter explained: “This development is consequent upon the shameful display of illegality, impunity, and undemocratic decision of the party and after due consultations with my constituents.
“This also means my resignation as Minority Leader of the Senate.”
Withdrawing from the Abia PDP primary, Abaribe had in a statement titled – Notice of Non-Participation in the Abia PDP Gubernatorial Primaries – declared inter alia: “…I Senator Enyinnaya Harcourt Abaribe will not be part of this charade.
“I am, therefore, not participating in the exercise, which means that I will not be part of the PDP governorship primary election that holds in Abia State on Wednesday 25th of May, 2022 as doing so would have amounted to an endorsement of an illegality that is already being challenged in the courts.”
Abaribe cautioned: “The implication for our party is grave and as such has put all ongoing primary exercises on quicksand.
“I am known for standing firm in defence of my convictions for the right of all people to a free and fair democratic process. That was why my campaign set sail on a democratic journey that took us to all the nooks and crannies of our dear state.”
Meanwhile, Abaribe is no longer contesting for governor but battling to survive going back to the National Assembly on the APGA ticket.