The political environment and calculations in Ebonyi State took another turn today, Thursday 6th September, 2018 as the Ebonyi State House of Assembly Minority Leader and honourable member representing Afikpo North-East State Constituency, Honourable Maria Ude Nwachi, defected to the Alliance for New Nigeria, ANN, from Peoples Democratic Party, PDP under which she was elected in 2015.

In a statement to the press signed by the National Publicity Secretary of ANN, Akinloye Oyeniyi, the party said it is another epoch in the political history of our dear nation, Nigeria, as the nine months old political party produced its first serving political office holder in the person of Honourable Maria Ude Nwachi, the Member representing Afikpo North-East State Constituency and the Minority Leader in the Ebonyi State House of Assembly.

The statement reads “Today Thursday 6th day of September, 2018 is a significant day in the political history of Nigeria and our dear party, Alliance for New Nigeria, ANN, as the party is welcoming into its fold the honourable member representing Afikpo North-East State Constituency and Minority Leader of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Honourable Maria Ude Uwachi at her ward in Afikpo North Local Government Area of the state, making her the first serving political office holder of our party.

“To many, political parties have merely been vehicles of thuggery and social disturbance, but as Nigerians have seen for themselves, the coming of ANN is not only to want to exercise government power by winning political offices, but to also serve as the true political party for government and political recruitment, interest articulation and aggregation, political communication and education, goal formation, link between governments and the people, political representation of all and sundry and making governments accountable to the people. These and many other qualities are what has been endearing the party of difference to multitude of people across all divides which honourable Nwachi that declared ANN as a better platform with good ideology where her impacts can be felt, is one. We have listened to her people back home, and from their own mouths they have confirmed she is a community development enthusiast and popular grassroot mobiliser loved by her people,; he said.

The defection ceremony which took place at her ward in Afikpo North LGA was witnessed by her teeming supporters, party members and officials led by the state chairman of the party, Mr. Nweli Ifeanyichukwu Hilary, his deputy Mr. Irem Austin Obiahu, the State Secretary, Mr. Orji Ifeanyichukwu Ude, the Assistant Secretary, Mr. Esheya Kelvin, the Organizing Secretary, Mr. Agwu Onyemakaeze, the Afikpo North LGA Vice Chairman, Mr. Maxwell Isu, the Afikpo North LGA Organizing Secretary, Mr. Emmanuel and many other officials who received and welcomed her into the ANN’s fold.