Aloysius Attah, Onitsha
As the Saturday, February 16 national elections draw closer, hundreds of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) members in Anambra State have defected to the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Our correspondent reports that the defectors, drawn from across the 21 local governments, were made up of former APGA chairmen and other executives members promised to deliver all PDP candidates in the upcoming elections.
Speaking during the welcoming rites in Awka, Anambra State Campaign Director, PDP Presidential Campaign, Dr. Harry Oranezi, described the decision of the defectors as both timely and patriotic, noting that those who chose to play opposition were treading the wrong route.
The campaign director urged the new members of the party to immediately key into the party’s ideology, stressing that it was only the PDP that is capable of liberating the country from her current woes.
He enjoined them to ensure they that delivered all the party’s aspirants in all the available positions in the state and in the presidential election while assuring them of unalloyed support from the party.
Commending the defectors for taking the bold step in joining the party, Oranezi further advised them to make use of their index finger other than the thumb while casting their votes and to ensure they voted out other candidates who do not belong to the PDP.
He further lauded the efforts of the senatorial candidate of the party in Anambra Central, Uche Ekwunife, describing her as a fighter with a unique ability.
While welcoming the defectors to the PDP, Senator Ekwunife assured them of total support of the party while appealing to them to come out to vote out the every APGA candidate in the state.
The senatorial candidate in Anambra Central further promised to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people of the constituency and the state in general, while also reiterating the Atiku/Obi candidacy as the best.
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Earlier, the State Chairman of PDP, Mr. Ndubuisi Nwobu, said the party would give the defectors a warm welcome while charging them to deliver all the PDP candidates in all the wards.
One of the defectors, Mr. Ebele Anoliefo, from Awka-Etiti in Idemili South Local Government Area of the state, said APGA presidential candidate, Major General John Gbor, lacked the capacity to represent the Igbo nation and called on people to ensure they delivered all PDP candidates.
On the reason for his defection, he said, “APGA has failed us. The suffering of our people is increasingly worsening every day. We can no longer continue to pretend over it or follow the directives of the present administration in the state to vote their candidates.”
A former youth leader and women leader of APGA, in different interviews, bemoaned the neglect of APGA in the state led by Governor Willie Obiano, stressing that they could no longer condone their negligence.
They promised to switch allegiance to the PDP by voting massively for the party in the coming election for a better deal.