Former Benue Speaker Hyacinth Dajoh dumps APC for PDP

Shuns APC primary over alleged irregularities

From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi

Former Benue State House of Assembly Speaker Hyacinth Dajoh has left his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), to join the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

This came several hours after Dajoh withdrew from the APC primary election for Gboko West State Constituency, citing alleged irregularities and a lack of transparency in the process.

Dajoh alleged that in some areas, result sheets were already filled before voting, while election materials reportedly failed to arrive at several polling centres despite winners being announced.

He thanked his supporters, delegates, youths, women and party faithful across Gboko West for standing with him and urged them to remain calm as they await further directives.

In a statement signed by his media aide, Agber Kulugh, Dajoh was said to have formally defected to the PDP in Makurdi on Wednesday, May 20, 2026.

The former Speaker was received into the party by the leader of the PDP in Benue State and immediate past governor of the state, Chief Samuel Ortom.

The development, he said, follows the resignation of the former Speaker from the All Progressives Congress (APC) after prolonged internal disagreement and inability to reconcile.

Our correspondent reports that Dajoh attended the PDP senatorial primary election held on Wednesday as a critical stakeholder of the party from Gboko, where Chief Mrs Eunice Ortom was affirmed as the senatorial candidate of the party.

The former Speaker restated his commitment to the politics of inclusiveness, unity, community development and, most importantly, the welfare of the people, stating that his political decisions will always be guided by the collective interest of the people of Gboko West and Benue State at large.

Earlier, Chief Samuel Ortom had received the former Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly into the umbrella party.