Abaribe resigns as senate majority leader and dumps PDP amid signs he is set to declare for Apga

SENATOR Enyinnaya Abaribe has resigned from Nigeria's main opposition the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and has also stood down as the senate minority leader amid indications that he is poised to join the All Progressive Grand Alliance (Apga).

Like several other political leaders across the southeast geo-political zone, Senator Abaribe is unhappy with the PDP for not zoning the presidential rickets to Ndigbo. Although not constitutional, Nigeria's component parts have a gentleman's agreement that the presidency will rotate between the north and the south of the country.

President Muhammadu Buhari's tenure will end in 2023 and being a Fulani northern Muslim, it is expected that the next president will come from southern Nigeria. Since the return to democracy in 1999, the southwest has produced President Olusegun Obasanjo and the south-south President Goodluck Jonathan, so come 2023, the presidency should automatically go to the southeast.

However, neither the PDP or the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has zoned the presidency to the southeast, leaving candidates from all over the country to stand. Earlier this week, former Anambra State governor Peter Obi, who was a presidential aspirant, left the PDP and joined the Labour Party,

In a shocking development, Senator Abaribe who was an Abia State governorship hopeful, also withdrew from the PDP governorship primaries. In a letter announcing his resignation which he sent to his ward chairman in Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State and the president of the senate, Senator Abaribe gave illegality, impunity and hesitations in decision-making as his reasons for dumping the PDP.

Senator Abaribe said: “This development is consequent upon the shameful display of illegality, impunity and undemocratic decision of the party and after due consultations with my constituents. I wish to thank you and my dear colleagues in the leadership of the senate for the warm camaraderie we enjoyed while I was minority leader.”