AS the Kogi State governorship election draws near, a crisis of interest may be rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) as ‎one of the leading governorship aspirant of the party, Senator Nicholas Yahaya Ugbane staged a walk-out on the party in Ayangba over what he described as the over bearing influence of former governor Abubakar Audu, who is also a contender.

The former senator, who was the only governorship aspirant that graced the event was apparently piqued when Audu allegedly took over the programme and started campaigning for himself.

The Senator feeling slighted stormed out of the arena with his supporters to his country home, Egume, which is about 15 kilometres from Ayangba.‎

Ugbane later addressed a press conference challenging the conduct of the former governor of the state.

The senator accused Audu of hijacking the rally, adding that the original intention for the zonal rally was to receive some defectors not for any aspirant to come and sell himself, maintaining that he is the most qualified candidate for the coveted seat.‎

“I will like to say that what my former boss, Prince Abubakar Audu did today was not acceptable to any of us, my self in particular. The zonal rally was meant for the party to woo more people to join the party but unfortunately the former governor stopped everybody from talking and hi jacked the whole thing,” he stated.

At the Ayangba event, former Minister of Police Affairs Barrister Humphrey Abah, former PDP BOT member, Halimat Alfa, former Chairman of Idah Local Government Major Musa, former vice chairman of Ofu Yahaya Onakpa, Ignatius Ahmodu, Ambassador Joseph Idachaba, Richard Haruna announced their defection to the APC.

Other prominent defectors include Ernest Abah former Council Chairman for Igalamela, former Special adviser to Governor Idris Wada, Peter Agbonika and some serving special advisers, in the current administration and many others.

The decampees in their thousands from the nine local government areas in Kogi East Senatorial District defied the heavy downpour to celebrate their reception as they took their turns to ask their follows to vote out PDP.

Speaking while presenting the broom the to the defectors Prince Audu pleaded with the people of the state for forgiveness especially those he offended during his tenure.