By CHARLES IWUOHA

No fewer than 30,000 members of National Rescue Movement (NRM) in Ebonyi State have defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of March 11, 2023 governorship and state House of Assembly polls.

The defectors made their decision known on Wednesday at the PDP Campaign council headquarters in Abakiliki.

A communique signed by the Ebonyi state chairman of the party, Comrade Stanley Ogodo O., and Secretary, Pastor Ifeanyi Mbam E., said NRM believes in productivity, credibility, accountability, rule of law in defending of democracy.

The party stated that after due consultations and deliberations, NRM unanimously endorsed the PDP governorship candidate, Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii as the preferred flagbearer in the March 18 election.

“The adoption of the gubernatorial candidate was the major decision reached at the Party’s Stakeholders meeting. The PDP governorship candidate, Dr. Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii stands out among all other contestant of different political parties in Ebonyi State.

“Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii is well competent, credible, loyalty, dedicated, compassionate to the people and committed as such if he emerges governor Ebonyi state will be better again. All our state House of Assembly candidates is supporting his candidature as he will make a good government with them,” the defectors said.

Speaking after the Endorsement, the state governorship candidate of NRM, who also signed the communique, Comrade Tony Usulor, said he stepped down for PDP because of Odii’s intimidating manifesto for the state.

“We enjoined our members, supporters and People of Ebonyi State to support and vote for Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii on the 11^thMarch, 2023,” he said.

Receiving the NRM defectors on behalf of the party, Director-general PDP’S campaign council, Chief Austin Edeze, lauded the group for taking a bold step, assuring them that they would be carried along in the scheme of things.