One of Senator Jarigbe Agom’s staunch supporters, Emmanuel Idris, who worked tirelessly for his election and has worked with him in the Red Chambers since his election as Senator representing Cross River Northern District, has defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressive Congress (APC).
Emmanuel Idris defected to the ruling APC on Saturday in Ogoja, along with 237 other PDP members, shortly after another staunch PDP media personality from the Central Senatorial District, Desmond-Cruz, resigned, citing incompetence in leadership and a lack of direction in the PDP.
According to Emmanuel Idris, “In 2022, before Rt. Hon. Peter Odey was officially announced as the running mate to Prince Otu, he called me to say “Bro. I’ve been nominated to be the Deputy Governorship Candidate of my party, I know you won’t support me, but I thought it was important to let you know” I replied him immediately “why won’t I support you, will i abandon supporting you who i know personally to support another candidate that i don’t know and doesn’t know me ? He responded with “thank you” He didn’t feel entitled to my support because of the relationship we had, he didn’t even ask for it(Atleast not directly).”
‘Few months later, when the elections were drawing closer, he called that I should seek my father’s support, I told him my dad won’t support a candidate outside the PDP, for obvious reasons but that I know how my dad wins elections for PDP in Urban Ward 2, and he should trust me to deliver the ward to the APC. He wasn’t convinced I could do it, he reluctantly said “okay”.”
“We went to the polls on the 18th of March, 2023 and we delivered the ward to the APC. Both Guber and State House, APC won with a good margin.
Ogoja Urban Ward 2 Result:
Guber:
APC – 1,847
PDP – 1,497
State Constituency:
APC – 1,895
PDP – 1,490”
“My ward was the only ward in the bakor axis of Ogoja the APC won in the Guber Election. The APC won the four wards of Mbube(where the Deputy Governor hails from) and Urban Ward II, in Bakor axis, to even the score (5 – 5) against the PDP who won five of the six Bakor Wards.”
“I resigned from the PDP in May, 2023 and since then I have been studying the board and observing, earlier this year I thought it was time to join the APC as a member to support the administration of Sen. Bassey Otu and Rt. Hon. Peter Odey, to bring more to our people in Urban Ward II, in particular and Ogoja, as a whole.”
“I wish to thank His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Peter Odey for all he been done for our people even before I joined the APC, and never failing to give listening ears to our endless requests.”
“Today I formally moved to the APC and assure him of our full and undivided support for the Prince Otu, led Administration. I led 237 new members into the APC and more are on their way!”
