The Deputy Senate President, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu, is on the verge of defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Ekweremadu is believed to be displeased with the way PDP has treated him since Senate President Bukola Saraki defected to the party.
According to Daily Sun, quoting an unnamed source, the deputy senate president’s defection is only a “matter of days” as he has engaged in “high-level negotiations” to join APC.
Ekweremadu’s defection will be a major blow to the main opposition party, after former Minority Leader, Sen. Godswill Akpabio also abandoned the PDP for the APC.
The paper quoted a top APC chieftain from the South East as saying, “Look at the way they treated Ekweramadu. When all of them left, Ekweramadu remained to fight for the survival of this party. How many of them would have resisted the temptation not to defect in the face of the intimidation, harassment, prosecution and persecution meted out on him.
“As a person, he had nothing to lose if he had defected then. In fact, he had everything to gain. He probably would have been the senate president because he was offered the slot. Then, when you people now return, you feel that people who had helped this party to survive, did not matter, again, simply because you got a presidential ticket. Also, even Saraki knows that if the DSP had not been loyal, they would have gotten at him (Saraki), long ago.
“All the trials Ekweramadu was put through were all because of Saraki. But, when it was the turn of Saraki to be there for him, he failed him and as we speak, how many days is this after the primary. Atiku is yet to call DSP. You don’t treat a man who has been taking bullets on you people’s behalf like that. Well, I wish them and PDP well, but, they should know that action begets reaction and they will pay the price for this mistreatment of people, who laboured for the party during the toughest time. And, if Ekweramadu leaves, we will hold these people responsible.”
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