By Cajetan Mmuta
Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) caucus in the Anambra State House of Assembly on Tuesday pledged their loyalty to the Deputy Governor, Dr. Nkem Okeke for the courage and commitment towards effective service delivery for improved welfare of people of the state and for his recent defection to the APC even in the face of intimidation by the state government.
The eight APC lawmakers led by the member representing the Njidoka constituency, Hon. Timothy Ifediora made the declaration when they visited the Deputy Governor in his office, at the Government House, Awka the state capital.
The lawmakers said, “We are at the government house to facilitate with you for joining APC in the state”.
According to Ifediora, we are in your office to assure you of our support and determination to reposition governance in the state.
“We have to make out time to officially pay a solidarity visit to you and support you in our efforts to move Anambra forward. We are proud of you and happy that you have joined the APC,” he said
The legislator said they dumped the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) because it has deviated from its core values that brought some of us in. APGA now is a party of nepotism, high-handedness, deceit and has become the property of some families and individuals in the state”.
“In fact, APGA is led by an emperor. We were treated badly as a stranger in the party we collectively built ” the lawmakers said
Ifediora said that he left APGA because of the fraudulent primaries that brought Prof. Charles Soludo as the candidate of the party
According to him, those who do not love Andy Uba are those who don’t know him.
Also speaking, the lawmaker member representing Ekwusigo constituency Hon. Onyebuchi Augustine said that APGA has collapsed under the leadership of Governor Willie Obiano because of nepotism and favoritism.
According to him, the APGA government is full of lies, deceit and it is time to stop the continuity of lies and godfatherism in the state.
He said that Obiano disqualified him without reason because he wanted to install Soludo as the governor.
He said that one of the lies of the Obiano was that he asked the house to approve N10billion for the construction of the Anambra airport and at the time said he had completed the airport.
According to him, if the airport is completed why is the budget for it in the next year’s budget?.
“Those who said APC is not on the ground in Anambra are just deceiving themselves, saying that the party is on the ground,” he said.
The member representing Awka North Hon. John Nwokoye said he left APGA because Obiano refused to do any single project for people of his constituency and his people are accusing him of selling out.
He stated that he has pulled out his people from APGA, promising that they would vote en masse for the APC in Saturday’s election
Also, a member representing Aguata Carter Dike said, he left because the party collected his money for primaries and disqualified him without any reason.
According to him, the party has become a family affair and if you are not from Aguleri, you are seen as strangers in the government.
In his welcome speech, the deputy governor Commended the APC caucus members for the solidarity visit even in the face of busy campaigns to different parts of the state.
Two Reps leave PDP, APGA, join APC
Dr. Okeke said that he had wanted to join another party in his political career, saying that he had reached his peak in APGA.
He said Anambra state cannot continue to be at the background in national affairs or a lone ranger all the time, pointing out that since the formation of APGA it has not grown beyond the state.
He states that the people of the state must begin to think beyond their limitations to a greater height.
He said that the candidate of APC is a refined gentleman with a good heart to take the state to a greater level.
According to him, one does not need to be a Ph.D. holder to govern effectively, saying that what is needed is a good heart.
“Our people see APC as Fulani party. Are they not some of our people who are there? If you hate APC because of Buhari one day he must leave the party, an Igbo may become the president and then will call it Igbo party ” he said
