Over 1,000 members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abia State have pitched their tent with the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) citing infighting, deceit and lies by their former party as reasons for their defection.

The defector included major stakeholders of the party from the 17 Local Government Areas of the state.

In an address on the occasion at the state PDP secretariat, Umuahia, the leader of the group, Chief Egwuatu Egbulefu said their sojourn with the APC was unfruitful, describing the APC as a bandwagon of sad, selfish and aggrieved politicians looking for a platform to unburden their grief.

He said that they were happy to return to the PDP which he said harbour everyone and regretted that their leaving the PDP earlier was as a result of anger.

Chief Egbulefu pledged their loyalty to the PDP and called on others still wasting time in APC to return to the PDP. He saluted the chairman of the party, Senator Emma Nwaka for accepting them back to the fold.

In their speeches, other stakeholders of the party,including Chief Francis Egu,Erin U Erode Jnr. Emerge Sunday Okoro, Mrs Chinese Onyeukwu, Chief Uzoma Uwa, said their return was to add value to the PDP and thanked Governor Theodore Orji for his efforts in building PDP as well as his tremendous goodwill which he said made them to return.

The state chairman of the PDP, Senator Emma Nwaka said he was happy to welcome them into the party and promised to give all members equal treatment as Governor Orji has changed the face of politics in Abia.

According to him, Abia is wearing a new look under the PDP-led government of Chief Orji, adding that APC is fully dead in Abia State.

He gave an assurance that the PDP will give all contestants a level playing ground.