EMMANUEL Uduaghan, former governor of Delta State has defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressive Congress (APC).

Mr Uduaghan, explaining why he took the decision to leave the PDP on which platform he governed the state, said his action was based on the interest of the Niger Delta region.

The former governor tendered the explanation in a statement entitled: “Moving On To The Bigger Playing Field,” on Wednesday.

Uduaghan’s defection is largely seen as an advancement of the APC into the region. The ruling party is seen harvesting former state governors from the South South geo-political zone.

Recently, the chances of the ruling party into the region was further boasted when Godswil Akpabio, a former governor of Akwa Ibom state now a Senator, took the same decision and left the PDP on whose platform he had served since his inception into politics.

Uduaghan said the toughest challenge for any leader in the Niger Delta since 1997 has been the issue of Peace and Security.

“Since the inception of the current All Progressives Congress, APC, administration at the federal level, there has been an encouraging interest and activities by President Muhammadu Buhari to bring a permanent solution to the Niger Delta crisis. This has pointed in a direction that is at once progressive and developmental,” statement of the former Delta governor partly read.

“There are also various human capital development programmes especially the school feeding and the “social security net” that is making 5,000 Naira available to the poor, the continuation of the YouWin programme, the various SME programmes, and several other projects across the region have brought hope to the people.

“Indeed, once Mr. President was able to set his priorities pursuant to creating an environment for peace in the region, it became incumbent on every well-meaning Niger Deltan and Nigerian to assist the process of building an economically prosperous nation,” he said.

Uduaghan linked his move into the APC as that of the biblical John the Baptist, noting that stakeholders from the state would soon join him in the ruling party.

“I am happy that after explaining some of the deeper issues to you, some of you that are politicians have agreed to join the APC in the near future. So I am going into APC as “John the Baptist” to the numerous Deltans that are coming in, soon – very soon.”