Party supporters fume as APC reps candidate, Apia defects to PDP

Brave Dickson

The APC supporters in the Ahoada axis of Rivers State have expressed anger over the defection of Barr Eric Apia to the PDP.

Apia was the APC House of Representatives candidate for the Abua-Odual/Ahoada East Federal Constituency in the just concluded February 25 election.

Apia polled a total of 8,680 votes to lose to Bob Solomon of the PDP who polled a total of 16,060 votes to emerge as the House of Reps member-elect.

While receiving Apia into the PDP, Governor Nyesom Wike said his defection will boost the chance of the PDP in the March 11 governorship and House of Assembly elections in Ahoada East where the defector hails from.

Reacting to the defection, an APC stakeholder in Ahoada, Ajasin Vincent told our correspondent that supporters of Apia in Ahoada West and East are not happy with the decampee.

“This is a man we campaigned for. We didn’t stop there, we all came out on election day to cast our votes for him.

“Some of us went to the polling units with hunger just to make sure we vote for Apia.

“Though, the result of the election was tampered with as the result of the election did not reflect the wish of the voters which was not the fault of his supporters.

“It was shocking to us when we heard that Apia has defected to PDP without informing us who are his supporters that stood by him before and during the February 25 election,” he said.

Vincent also described the defection of Apia as betrayal, saying that only politicians who lack character will do what Apia did.