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The Deputy Governor of Abia <\/a>State, Engr. Ikechukwu Emetu, and the Chairman of CAADES Group, Dr. Chimaobi Desmond Anyaso, have received the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bende Local Government Area, Hon. Ihechi Philips, alongside executives from the 13 wards of the party in the council, following their defection to the Labour Party (LP).<\/p>\n The defection ceremony, which took place on Sunday (May 10, 2026), at the country home of Dr. Chimaobi Desmond Anyaso in Igbere, Bende Local Government Area of Abia <\/a>State, also featured the endorsement of Governor Alex <\/a>Otti for a second term in office in 2027.<\/p>\n Speaking during the event, Hon. Ihechi Philips said their decision to dump the PDP was informed by the visible achievements of Governor Otti and the ongoing reforms across the state.<\/p>\n According to him, campaigning against Governor Otti has become increasingly difficult due to the administration\u2019s performance, especially in the areas of road infrastructure, governance reforms, and developmental projects.<\/p>\n He noted that the achievements recorded by the present administration within less than three years surpass what previous governments in the state were unable to accomplish in the last 24 years.<\/p>\n Hon. Philips explained that the need to consolidate the ongoing reforms and sustain the developmental strides of the Otti-led administration informed their decision to collapse the PDP structure in Bende LGA into the Labour Party.<\/p>\n Receiving the defectors, the Deputy Governor, Engr. Ikechukwu Emetu, commended them for what he described as a courageous and progressive decision to identify with a performance-driven government.<\/p>\n He assured the new members that they would be fully integrated into the Labour Party structure and carried along in the affairs and programmes of the government.<\/p>\n Also speaking, Dr. Chimaobi Desmond Anyaso thanked Hon. Ihechi Philips and the ward executives for aligning with the \u201cOtti Again 2027\u201d movement under the Labour Party in Abia <\/a>State.<\/p>\n