Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State has lost one of its founding members, Godfrey Dikeocha, a former speaker of the state House of Assembly to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Dikeocha announced his defection before select APC stakeholders from Owerri zone who had called on him at his Ndigbo Uvuru in Aboh Mbaise council of the state to join their party.
According to the former speaker who accepted their plea to join APC, attributed his decision to what he described as money politics introduced into PDP.
He described PDP as a party of moneybags where decisions and policies are influenced by how many funds a party member contributes to the party.
“The centre can no longer hold; I have been a PDP member from 1999 till my defection; when everybody deserted the party, I continued but today I have come to realise that no matter what you do if you do not have money, nobody will recognise you,” Dikeocha said.
Explaining why he favoured APC, Dikeocha said the policies of the party and the actions of President Muhammadu Buhari endeared him to the party.
He said: “I believe in the anti-corruption policies of Mr President and also I have seen that he has started doing something for South East; PDP orchestrated the second Niger bridge that never took off.
“Look at the Akanu Ibiam airport, we had ministers and other prominent leaders then from PDP but none of them could do something about the airport until President Buhari came on board. I can tell you that I am moved by his policies,” Dikeocha stated.
Earlier in his speech, leader of the delegation from Ngor Okpala, Chief Val Okere, told Dikeocha that their call to urge him to join APC was necessitated by the fact that he is a true leader and great mobiliser.