Politics
Ihedioha’s Ex-CoS, Others Dump PDP For APC
A former Chief of Staff to ex-governor Emeka Ihedioha of Imo State, Chris Okewulonu, alongside Ihedioha’s former deputy governorship candidate, Chuma Nnaji, have defected to the All Progressives Congress.
The duo, alongside their supporters, defected on Friday.
At the APC secretariat in Owerri, the state capital, Okewulonu addressed party members.
He said “You will recall that a few months ago, I tendered my resignations, both as a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, and as a member of its Board of Trustees,” Okewulonu stated.
“My decision to leave that party was taken after deep introspection, coupled with lengthy consultations with members of my family, my political colleagues, and my well-wishers.
“My decision was equally rooted in my conviction that the qualities which formed the essence of the PDP as a political party, and which ab initio informed my attraction to it, had been continuously eroded, totally degraded, and finally and irretrievably lost,” he said.
Okewulonu explained that his break from political activity allowed him to observe Imo’s political landscape critically.
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“In the light of the protracted disagreements and schisms in both of the parties which should, and were actually looked upon to constitute the frontline opposition parties in Nigeria, I found myself questioning whether, as a veritable statesman in the polity of Imo State and even Nigeria at large, I could afford to continue paying lip service to being a member of an ineffective, nearly non-existent opposition, whereas I could position myself to actively contribute towards improving the lives of my people,” he added.
He acknowledged Governor Hope Uzodimma’s leadership and his achievements.
“Five years down the road, I have come to the inescapable conviction that the 3R administration of Senator Hope Uzodimma has meant well for the people of Imo State, and has been doing its utmost to effectively and efficiently deliver the dividends of good governance to them.
“The humongous roads and other infrastructural interventions, and the human capacity building initiatives undertaken by the Senator Hope Uzodimma administration are eloquent testimonials to my belief and assertion,” Okewulonu said.
Uzodimma welcomed the defectors, emphasising the significance of their decision.
“APC was seen as a foreign party because of the unfortunate outing in the past. We became victims of mistaken identity. Today, the only party that meant well for Imo citizens is APC,” Uzodimma said.
He described the defection as a testament to APC’s growing influence in the state.
“Genuine members of the political class who want Imo to move forward are joining the winning party. The real state owners are coming back to the party. If we don’t solve the problem of our people, history will not forgive us,” the governor added.
Uzodimma praised Okewulonu and Nnaji’s decision to join APC, likening the development to recruiting elite players in sports.
“Conscience is an open wound that only truth can heal. I thank Okewulonu and Chuma Nnaji for joining our party. We have the Ronaldos and Lionel Messis in our party now,” he remarked.
All Delta State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, House of Representatives members have officially defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Their defection was made public by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, during plenary on Tuesday.
Details shortly…
Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State says the All Progressives Congress, APC, will welcome former governor of the state, Chief James Ibori, into the party’s fold.
Oborevwori who recently defected to the party from the Peoples Democratic Party, made the remarks during the vigil mass held in honour of the former deputy governor of the state, Prof Amos Utuama.
DAILY POST reports that the mass was held on Wednesday at St. Andrew’s Catholic Church, Otu-Jeremi, Ughelli South Local Government Area of the state.
The governor, who stressed the need for unity among the Urhobo political class, highlighted the selfless contributions of the transited former deputy governor.
“I am very happy to be here today, seeing this large gathering for one man. The preaching today is not about the dead, it is about the living.
“There are many things our former deputy governor did while he was alive. I will mention just a few key ones.
“He donated the land allocated to him in Asaba while he was deputy governor to the Catholic Church.
“He also contributed to building of the church. To me, that is a kingdom investment,” he said.
Oborevwori prayed that the passing of the deceased would bring peace and unity to Ughelli South and the entire Urhobo ethnic group.
In his exhortation, the Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Warri, Most Rev. Anthony Ewherido, affirmed that the late Prof. Amos Utuama lived an impactful life in both the church and the society.
Ewherido condoled with the family, urging them to uphold the legacies of their father which were: godliness, humility, charity and selflessness.
The bishop described the death of a Christian as a transition to eternal glory and reminded everyone of the need to accept Christ while alive to enjoy eternity after the physical death.
He also called for continued unity among the political class for the peace and development of the state.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Mr Ovie Utuama, son of the deceased, appreciated all for their support and requested prayers for the family during this difficult period.
Politics
PDP would have flushed out APC in 2023 if Okowa was not Atiku’s running mate-Moro confesses
Abba Moro, the senator representing Benue south, says the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would have won the 2023 presidential election if it had not chosen Ifeanyi Okowa as the running mate of Atiku Abubakar, its presidential candidate.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, Moro said the choice of Okowa, the former governor of Delta state, as the opposition party’s vice-presidential candidate was a “serious mistake“.
This is coming on the heels of a comment by Okowa, who said he regretted being Abubakar’s running mate during the 2023 elections.
Okowa, who spoke on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Monday, said his being the PDP’s vice-presidential candidate was against his people’s will.
On April 23, Okowa and Sheriff Oborevwori, governor of Delta, defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The former governor of Delta said his defection to the ruling party was in the “best interest of our people” and the need for the people of the state to “connect to Abuja”.
However, Moro said Okowa’s claim of regret after the PDP failed to win the presidential election in Delta state showed that his “soul” was not in the party.
“Given what we know now, with the hindsight that we have now, some of us think that the party would have won the election if other candidates, other than Okowa, had been picked as the vice-presidential candidate from the south,” the Benue senator said.
“I think there is an error of judgment on the part of everybody that was involved in the choice of Okowa as the candidate.
“How else would you characterise this scenario that a sitting governor, a former senator, and a presidential candidate of a party couldn’t deliver his state even to the presidential candidate?”
“And to think that two out of the senators from that state were from the opposition parties other than the PDP.
“So, I think that picking Okowa as the vice-presidential candidate in 2023 was a very serious mistake.”
Moro added that Okowa’s action showed a lack of commitment to the party.
“As it is now, you can safely conclude that we lost the election because of lack of commitment,” he said.
“Otherwise, how can you explain that shortly after losing his state, that ordinarily should have been a very easy pick for the PDP, instead of rendering an apology to the party and Nigeria, he’s now talking about regretting being on the ticket?
“His soul was not in the PDP. His soul was not in that election, and that is why we performed very miserably in Delta state.”
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