Sen. Bassey Akpan(PDP-Akwa Ibom) has formally defected to the Young Progressives Party (YPP).
Akpan, who represents Akwa Ibom North East at the National Assembly said this in a letter to the Senate President Ahmad Lawan, dated July 18 and read at plenary on Wednesday.
“I write to notify Your Excellency, the President of the Senate, the Senate leadership and the entire Senate of my resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with effect from July 15.
“I must admit that the PDP has offered me the opportunity to serve several capacities in government over the years, including serving as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and I remain grateful to the party to that extent.
“However, it is now clear to me and my supporters that the center can no longer hold in the Akwa-lbom state chapter of the PDP since the party’s hierarchy decided to adopt and favour only one preferred candidate before and during the governorship primaries.
“The determination of the state chapter of the party to support the preferred candidate could not even be halted by every attempt to call for a level playing field and its associated controversies,” he said.
Akpan added:“In view of the foregoing, the agitations have led to serious rancour and some steep differences in the ranks of the party and this had presented me with a compelling reason to consult my people on our future in the PDP.
“I must state that my supporters had earlier presented me with a nomination form after paying for the same to encourage me to contest the party primary for nomination of the governorship candidate of the party.
“Unfortunately, events leading to the party’s primary for the governorship made it impossible for me to participate in the primary.
“Therefore, I am constrained to bow to the wish of my people who have advised that in view of the state of affairs that exist now in the party, I should resign my membership of the party.
“As a result of the foregoing, I resigned my membership of the PDP and now joined the Young Progressives Party (YPP) which now becomes my new party.”