Former Anambra State governorship aspirant, Valentine Ozigbo, has revealed why he left the Labour Party (LP) to join the All-Progressives Congress (APC), describing the decision as a “difficult but necessary step” taken out of love for Anambra State.

In a statement shared on his X (formerly Twitter) handle on Tuesday, Ozigbo said he decided to clarify the reasons behind his political switch ahead of the forthcoming governorship election in the state.

Acknowledging the mixed reactions that trailed his defection, he said he understood the curiosity, disappointment, and anger expressed by many of his supporters.

“Many have asked: ‘Val, why did you leave the Labour Party?’ ‘Why APC?’ Some asked with curiosity, others with disappointment or anger. I understand all three. But truth demands context,” Ozigbo stated.

He explained that he was deeply committed to the Labour Party during its peak popularity in Anambra and enjoyed broad grassroots support within the Obidient movement. According to him, online polls at the time showed he had overwhelming public support, polling over 90 percent in separate surveys on preferred candidates and parties.

However, Ozigbo alleged that betrayal and sabotage by the Labour Party’s top leadership undermined his ambition.

“I witnessed a level of betrayal and sabotage within the Labour Party leadership (not the grassroots) unlike anything I had ever encountered. A deliberate effort was made at the top to stop my candidacy at all costs,” he said.

He accused the party leaders of abandoning fairness and transparency, saying the process was manipulated.

“All I asked for was a transparent process a level playing field, not a coronation. But what I saw was the same culture we criticized in other parties taking root in the Labour Party and, in some cases, even worse,” Ozigbo added.

The former LP aspirant said his exit exposed internal weaknesses that eventually crippled the party’s structure in Anambra.

“I could have stayed to keep fighting from within, but I realized that in trying to chase me out, they ended up destroying the party from within out of selfishness and short-sightedness,” he said.

Explaining his choice to join the APC, Ozigbo described the ruling party as the only viable platform capable of challenging the current administration in the state.

He concluded by emphasizing that his decision was guided by the desire to serve and bring development to Anambra State.