Over 1000 members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Igueben local government area of Edo state defected to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) on Thursday, March 5.
A former Local Government Transition Committee chairman Tom Adodo has also defected from the PDP to the APC, Premium Times reports.
All the former PDP members declared support for the APC administration of Adams Oshiomhole.
Addressing Oshiomhole and other members of the APC at the Government House, Adodo declared, ‘’Today, many of us that are here are from Ward 1 to 10 in Igueben Local Government. We are here to pledge and affirm our support to the Comrade-Governor because it is only a foolish man that will not see the developmental strides of the governor in Edo State in the past six years.’’
Igueben is the hometown of the PDP leader Tom Ikimi, a former foreign affairs minister, who until last year was a senior member of the APC.
“For so many years, PDP administration brought decay to our infrastructures, we have seen decay even in our moral lives. So, we are here to pledge our loyalty to the government that have done so much for the people of Edo State,” Ikimi said.
A former PDP youth leader in Ward 6 Otoide Precious thanked the governor for his good work in the state.
“I will like to thank you Mr. Governor for the good work you have been doing for Edo State. I am not here to criticize or to advertise but am here to tell you the major truth. I believe you will be the President of this great country,” Precious said.
Moreover, he added, “Is this not enough for us to leave PDP and join APC? Is this not enough reason for us to know that APC is the light of the country? We believe that the APC Presidential candidate will be better than the present President. That is why we mobilize ourselves to tell the world that there is need to dump PDP and join forces with the APC.”
Another defector, a Mr Aligbe, said, “It is in this administration of Comrade Oshiomhole that Igueben people have been enjoying good roads, infrastructural development and so on.”
Receiving the defectors, Oshiomhole expressed delight at development.
While reaffirming one of the defectors’ position, the governor asked everyone, “Today in everywhere in Edo including Igueben there is darkness. Do we have light? If there is no light, do you want darkness to continue?”
There have been defections both ways between the two main parties. In recent years APC governors, ministers and other lawmakers have defected to the PDP for a variety of reasons.
The current director of media and publicity for the PDP presidential campaign organisation, and former minister Femi Fani-Kayode, was disowned by the APC in June 2014.
A former governor of Borno state Ali Modu Sheriff defected from the APC to the PDP in order to help end the numerous problems facing Borno, especially the insurgency fueled by Boko Haram.
Shortly after he resigned his appointment as the executive director of Edo state government on 3 July, 2014, the sixth son of the Benin monarch defected to the PDP. According to Erediauwa, he dumped the APC because he wanted to embrace change.
Tom Ikimi, a former minister of foreign affairs, resigned from the APC on 26 August, 2014 , after being denied the national chairmanship of the party and after bitter squabbles with some leaders of the party, including Senator Bola Tinubu.
The list could be continued.
According to reports from Sokoto released on 5 February, 2015, no fewer than 6000 members of the APC in Wamakko local government area of Sokoto state defected to the PDP.
The spokesman for the defectors, Alhaji Abubakar Gedawa, said: “We defected to the PDP from APC to ensure the success of the PDP at all levels in the upcoming general elections.”
At the same time another area of Sokoto, Gwadabawa local government area, lost 500 more members of the APC who defected to the PDP to help the party to tackle the challenges of poverty, unemployment and economic development.
All the former PDP members declared support for the APC administration of Adams Oshiomhole.
Addressing Oshiomhole and other members of the APC at the Government House, Adodo declared, ‘’Today, many of us that are here are from Ward 1 to 10 in Igueben Local Government. We are here to pledge and affirm our support to the Comrade-Governor because it is only a foolish man that will not see the developmental strides of the governor in Edo State in the past six years.’’
Igueben is the hometown of the PDP leader Tom Ikimi, a former foreign affairs minister, who until last year was a senior member of the APC.
“For so many years, PDP administration brought decay to our infrastructures, we have seen decay even in our moral lives. So, we are here to pledge our loyalty to the government that have done so much for the people of Edo State,” Ikimi said.
A former PDP youth leader in Ward 6 Otoide Precious thanked the governor for his good work in the state.
“I will like to thank you Mr. Governor for the good work you have been doing for Edo State. I am not here to criticize or to advertise but am here to tell you the major truth. I believe you will be the President of this great country,” Precious said.
Moreover, he added, “Is this not enough for us to leave PDP and join APC? Is this not enough reason for us to know that APC is the light of the country? We believe that the APC Presidential candidate will be better than the present President. That is why we mobilize ourselves to tell the world that there is need to dump PDP and join forces with the APC.”
Another defector, a Mr Aligbe, said, “It is in this administration of Comrade Oshiomhole that Igueben people have been enjoying good roads, infrastructural development and so on.”
Receiving the defectors, Oshiomhole expressed delight at development.
While reaffirming one of the defectors’ position, the governor asked everyone, “Today in everywhere in Edo including Igueben there is darkness. Do we have light? If there is no light, do you want darkness to continue?”
There have been defections both ways between the two main parties. In recent years APC governors, ministers and other lawmakers have defected to the PDP for a variety of reasons.
The current director of media and publicity for the PDP presidential campaign organisation, and former minister Femi Fani-Kayode, was disowned by the APC in June 2014.
A former governor of Borno state Ali Modu Sheriff defected from the APC to the PDP in order to help end the numerous problems facing Borno, especially the insurgency fueled by Boko Haram.
Shortly after he resigned his appointment as the executive director of Edo state government on 3 July, 2014, the sixth son of the Benin monarch defected to the PDP. According to Erediauwa, he dumped the APC because he wanted to embrace change.
Tom Ikimi, a former minister of foreign affairs, resigned from the APC on 26 August, 2014 , after being denied the national chairmanship of the party and after bitter squabbles with some leaders of the party, including Senator Bola Tinubu.
The list could be continued.
According to reports from Sokoto released on 5 February, 2015, no fewer than 6000 members of the APC in Wamakko local government area of Sokoto state defected to the PDP.
The spokesman for the defectors, Alhaji Abubakar Gedawa, said: “We defected to the PDP from APC to ensure the success of the PDP at all levels in the upcoming general elections.”
At the same time another area of Sokoto, Gwadabawa local government area, lost 500 more members of the APC who defected to the PDP to help the party to tackle the challenges of poverty, unemployment and economic development.
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