By COLLINS OSUJI, Owerri

Former Speaker of Imo State House of Assembly, Maxwell Duru and former House of Representatives member for Okigwe North, Patrick Ndubueze have defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to join the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state.
Also defected to APC from PDP were the former majority leader in the state House of Assembly, Stanford Onyirimba, and another former state lawmaker, Hon. Kingsley Dimaku.

Speaking to newsmen shortly after their grand reception into APC, held in Ehime Mbano council area of the state on Tuesday they respectively attributed their decision to the excellent performance of Governor Hope Uzodinma so far in the state.

The former PDP chieftains vowed to support the party achieve its goals and objectives in the state and beyond.

Ndubueze said, “seeing the marvelous works Governor Uzodinma is doing in the state, I asked all my followers, in fact most these people you see here today registering into APC are all members of my campaign organization, the Divine Project Group. I have to encourage them to move over to APC because I have decided to do so after speaking with His Excellency about it.

“And my mission of joining APC is to be sure that PDP is collapsed in Imo State, starting with Okigwe zone. And I am sure it will happen because I have the capacity and the capability.”

Also in Onyirimba words,

“I have been in PDP for the past 22 years and I have been on all the leadership positions of the party.

"But after the critical analysis of the one year programme of the governor, vis sa vis what past governors have done, I felt so happy to join APC because for me as a politician, what I require is the goodness of my people and not the platform.”

Dimaku added, “when you see people like us joining APC, that will tell you that APC has come to stay. We are the people that makes things to happen. We are the people that made PDP. So we have come and we have joined APC and we believe on what APC can do.”

Receiving the new entrants at the event alongside other top APC leaders, the state Speaker, Rt. Hon. Emeziem, who doubles as the Technical Committee Chairman of the ongoing nationwide APC Membership Registration and Revalidation exercise in the state, expressed satisfaction with the massive turnout of the opposition members joining the party.

He also assured the new members that they would be accorded equal treatment cum recognition in the party, stressing that the party’s targets was to get 1 million new members in ongoing exercise.

“What has happened today in Ehime Mbano is the gathering of prominent and eminent political stakeholders of various political parties other than APC in Okigwe zone who have admired the works and achievements of His Excellency, Dist. Sen. Hope Uzodinma so far as the governor of the state.

“So having seen and confirmed, the people of Imo State especially Okigwe zone extract have decided to join APC in order to support Sen. Hope Uzodinma for the further things he will achieve for the people of the state.”

Other people who defected to APC at the event include Dr. Godwin Anosike, Dr. Elthelbeth Nwachukwu, Hon. Greg Owuamanam, Dr. Uche Anyanwu, Chief Mathew Ukachu, Chief Zeekmartins Nnadozie, Sir Silas Onyeiwu, former Okigwe PDP Zonal Chairman, Hon. Paul Uche, former Okigwe council boss, Dr. Pope Ekwegh, former South East PDP Publicity Secretary, among many other top chieftains of opposition parties in the state. (The. Guardian)

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