Former president of the Actors’ Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Ibinabo Fiberesima, shocked many of her fans and followers on Tuesday with the news that she has joined the All Progressives Congress (APC).
She was until recently a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Announcing her defection in a Facebook post, the 46-year-old said she was exercising her constitutional right to freedom of association.
“I am one that has respected and enjoyed such rights especially making use of such association for the furtherance of my aforementioned goals and objectives,” she said.
Sources close to Ibinabo told Qed.ng that her decision to dump the PDP is not unconnected with her failure to secure the party’s ticket to contest the Rivers State local government election in 2018.
The former beauty queen had sought to contest for the chairmanship of Okrika Local Government but she was made to step down for someone.
Qed.ng learned that one of those opposed to her candidacy was former First Lady Patience Jonathan who is from the area.
Alluding to that in her Facebook post, Ibinabo wrote “I strongly believe that associations must foster accommodation and value for those within it. It must appreciate efforts and risks taken to sustain that association and when it seems that one has been relegated to the point of redundancy and lack of mutual respect in spite of herculean efforts thereto, it then sadly signals a time to say goodbye and accept the recognition offered by another platform.”
Ibinabo’s best moments as a PDP member came under former President Goodluck Jonathan. She had direct access to the State House and was responsible for contracting actors for Jonathan’s 2015 presidential election campaign.
Four years after Jonathan left office, the Vengeance of Bullet actress said “I leave accomplished. I exit with pride. I say goodbye with a heightened sense of patriotism.”
In a move many would have thought impossible some months ago, the University of Ibadan graduate on Tuesday announced her “fellowship with the All Progressives Congress” and expressed her “unfettered resolve” to assist President Muhammadu Buhari “in his bid to move the nation forward.”
