Tony Osauzo, Benin
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman for Ward 8 in Okpella, Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State, Afan Audu, has defected along with his 27-member executives defected to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
He said he took the decision because he needed to follow the governor who had performed beyond expectations and for him to continue with the trajectory.
APC Woman leader in ward 5 in Okpella, Mrs Salamotu Shakar, had similarly defected from the party and urged the people to vote for the candidate of the PDP.
She said her decision to dumped the APC was based on the fact that the community have nothing to show for all her years of support to the party, adding that she believed with Obaseki now in PDP, her desire to see to the upliftment of her people would be fulfilled.
The defections occurred during governor Godwin Obaseki’s campaign tour of Okpella.
At the event, one of the Community leaders, Tunde Ajeh, accused Prince Kassim Afegbua of building his house inside Okpella Secondary School land.
‘Afegbua is hostile to Okpella’s development and has shown his hatred for the people by using school land as his private property,’ he alleged.
The leadership of Okpella later presented various gift items to the Governor during the ward tour of the community to mark the end of Edo North ward-to-ward campaign of the PDP, promising to deliver Okpella 100% to Obaseki.
Items presented to the Governor as part of their commitment to his victory include kola nuts, portrait photograph, among several other items.
But reacting to the allegation that he built on school land, Kassim Afegbu denied the claim and stated that the State Government should be concerned with the state of the school and address the lack of teaching staff there.
‘The government should be concerned that the school in question has only four teachers; Principal, his Vice and two teachers. To keep our children educated, we have to resort to self-help.
‘We employ teachers, especially [National Youth Service] Corp members to keep the learning process going, a similar thing can be found in almost all the schools in the State and they celebrate undeserved NUT award with fanfare,’ he said.