2023: Ekweremadu May Join APC, Opens Discussion With Party Stakeholders

Former deputy Senate president and governorship aspirant in Enugu State, Dr. Ike Ekweremadu, has opened discussion with top shots of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) which may lead to him joining the party.

Ekweremadu, who represents Enugu West at the Senate, has been having running battle with chieftains of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) over his decision to contest the governorship seat of the state.

The governorship ambition of the four-time senator has generated so much controversy over zoning. While chieftains of PDP said the governorship position would go to Enugu East in line with subsisting zoning, Ekweremadu said there was nothing like that.

This had pitted him against Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, who said the zoning arrangement would be maintained.

In the PDP primaries for the state House of Assembly and National Assembly, Ekweremadu’s supporters, including House of Representatives Deputy Minority Leader, Toby Okechukwu, lost out.

News Direct gathered that in a move to preempt the outcome of today’s governorship primary, Ekweremadu has opened discussion with the APC.

It is believed that should he lose the governorship ticket of PDP,  he and his supporters may join the APC to actualise their ambition.

Sources revealed that Ekweremadu is negotiating to get assurances that the APC governorship ticket would be given to him should he dump PDP. The APC is holding its governorship primaries across the country tomorrow.

Ekweremadu was first elected to the Senate in 2003, after serving as Secretary to State Government and Chief of Staff to then Governor Chimaroke Nnamani.

He was reelected to the Senate in 2007, 2015 and 2019 and made history in 2015 when he emerged as Deputy Senate President in a Senate dominated by APC, although he was a member of the PDP.