By CHARLES IWUOHA

No fewer than five thousand members of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Labour Party (LP) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members in Umuezeoka Community, Ezza North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, at the weekend, defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

Members of opposition parties in the state have been defecting to the APC since after the Supreme Court judgement, which affirmed the election of Governor Francis Nwifuru.

In the momentous occasion, Dr. Okulegu Bethran Enyim, former Chairman of the Ebonyi State Secondary Education Board and the immediate past Director-general of the 2023 PDP Campaign Council in Ezza North LGA, led over five thousands persons belonging to his formidable team from Umuezeoka ward’, to join the ranks of the All Progressive Congress (APC).

The reception into the APC, witnessed the presence of notable figures such as Chief Stanley Emeagha, the Ebonyi State APC Chairman, Engr. Jude Okpor, the Ebonyi State Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Chief Ogodo Ali Nome, the Ezza North LGA Council Chairman, and the ALGON Chairman and other APC stalwarts in Ebonyi State, including Hon. Paulinus Ali (Zomo), the State APC Treasurer, Hon. Emeka Nwoñu.

Dr. Okulegu, known for his political influence in Ebonyi Central, praised Governor Francis Nwifuru for his compassionate governance, highlighting initiatives such as the payment of more than eighth years arrears of gratuities and pensions, business grants to hawkers, and scholarship grants to Ebonyi law school students.

Earlier, Dr. Okulegu Bethran Enyim called for unity among political parties and Ebonyians to support Governor Nwifuru’s efforts in building a better Ebonyi State.

The last weekend detector’s also included leaders of the affected political parties in Umuezeoka Ward in the community and those who have served the parties in different levels of administration in the State.

They were received into the APC by the State Chairman of the Party, Chief Stanley Okoro Emegha, the State Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Jude Okpor who is from the area and Chairman of Ezza North Local Government Area, Chief Ogodoali Nome in a ceremony organized for them at Umuezeoka Central School field, Ezza North LGA of Ebonyi State.

Receiving the decampees, the State Party Chairman, Chief Okoro Emeagha, who welcomed Dr. Okulegu into the APC fold among others, assured them of the Party’s commitment to accommodating all Ebonyi people under Governor Nwifuru’s leadership, emphasizing the Governor’s dedication to the welfare of Ebonyi citizens.

The event also saw the inclusion of prominent members of Dr. Okulegu’s ‘Fire Team’ into the APC, including Aloysius Nweke (Ogbanshiegbe) and Sunday Otubo, among others, marking a significant shift in Ebonyi politics.

The State Chairman who stressed that the decampees would be accommodated in the affairs of the Party and the State noted that the Party would continue to receive those who want to join the APC for a united and prosperous State.

Emegha urged APC members to allow any opposition Party member who wishes to join the Party.

‘Do not restrict people from coming to APC, don’t segregate. Tell them let everybody come let us come together. The house is more than enough to carry all of us”, he stated.

The State Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Jude Okpor said the mass exodus of members of the opposition parties in the Community was as a result of the live-touching and people,-oriented policies and programs of Governor Francis Nwifuru.

He noted, that despite the fact that the Community and Ezza North Local Government Area government in general did not vote for the Governor in the 2023 general election, he has been very magnanimous to the community and the Local Government through the execution of myriads of developmental projects in various parts of the Local Government.

He opined that the interest of the Governor was to unite and develop the State and that he needs everybody to work together as partners in progress.

He assured the defectors of equal attention in the scheme of things like old members.

Okpor dismissed the insinuation in some quarters that Governor Nwifuru was driving the State into a one Party State through defections of opposition members into the APC.

“There is no way the Governor will drive Ebonyi State into a one party state. But the fact remains that peace and development is what is paramount to him and if bringing everybody on board is what is going to drive this peace and development into its logical conclusion, I don’t think His Excellency is going to think twice to get that done”, he stated.

On his part, the Executive Secretary, Local Government Staff Pension Board in the State, Emeka Nwonu said the hybrids of defections into the party was as result of the performance of Governor Francis Nwifuru.

“Governor Francis Nwifuru is doing and since he is doing well, there is need for everybody to come together to support him.

“We talk of opposition where there is no democracy and in Ebonyi, there is democracy and the dividends are practically coming.”