APC’s Valentine Ozigbo claims mass defections loom in Labour Party, blasts Soludo’s alleged APC ties
Valentine Ozigbo, a governorship hopeful under the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra State, has declared that the Labour Party (LP) is no longer the force many believe it to be, claiming it is on the verge of collapse and that mass defections are imminent.
Speaking on Arise TV’s Morning Show on Tuesday, May 6, Ozigbo, a former LP member, said many elected officials under the Labour Party are planning to seek re-election under other parties, indicating a major loss of confidence in LP’s structure.
“Labour Party is not exactly what people think they are. It’s almost in its dying days, and over time, people are going to see this,” he said.
“There is hardly any elected member of the party that I have spoken to that is intending to run for re-election under the same platform.”
Ozigbo explained his defection to the APC as a strategic decision for the future, asserting that his presence has already begun to reshape political momentum in the state.
“I didn’t just leave Labour Party… I took a decision to go into APC not because I’m here to justify all the actions of APC. I’m here rather as a catalyst for change,” he noted.
He further criticized Governor Charles Soludo, accusing him of playing a dual political role—publicly aligning with APGA while allegedly courting APC support behind the scenes, particularly from President Bola Tinubu.
“Soludo must have gone to whoever to say APC is weak and his problem is Labour. So support me in APGA so that I will come back, because you don’t want Labour to win Anambra State.”
“If Soludo wants to be APGA, be APGA. APGA is in the past,” Ozigbo stated.
He dismissed claims that his move to APC lacked grassroots backing, asserting that his defection has energized the party, unlike previous high-profile defections that went unnoticed.
“When I moved, it became the trending topic of the time… I’m already adding value to APC,” he said.
Ozigbo’s remarks come as political alignments in Anambra begin to take shape ahead of the 2025 gubernatorial election, with major parties strategizing around Peter Obi’s stronghold, Soludo’s incumbency, and Tinubu’s influence.
