A few days to the governorship election in Anambra State, Valentine Ozigbo, the flag-bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gains momentum as the entire executives of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in his hometown dump the ruling party and join the PDP.
In a power-packed ceremony held at Grand East Hotel in Awka on Monday, November 1, 2021, the 37 APC executives led by the chairman, Mr Paul Chuks Umenduka threw their weight behind Mr Ozigbo declaring him as “the right leader to take Anambra to the promised land”.
According to Umenduka, the party is abandoning its candidate, Senator Andy Uba, because they feel he is “the worst option for Anambra” and their conscience would not allow them to “support evil in their state”.
Aguata LGA is the home of Senator Andy Uba the flag-bearer of the APC and Professor Charles Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA). So this move is a significant boost for Ozigbo ahead of the November 6 election.
This is a more significant blow to Uba because the APC chairman in his ward Uga Ward II, Christian Anaeto and other leaders like Ndubuisi Daniel are also among the thirty-seven leader who dumped the party and joined PDP, effectively leaving Uba without a structure in his own locality.
“We see in Valentine Ozigbo, a leader who will rescue Anambra from the terrible state we are in. We see in him a humble leader who will carry everybody along, who will listen to everyone,” Umenduka said.
“We see in Valentine Ozigbo the new generation leader that will take Anambra to the promised land.
“So, we the entire executives of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Aguata LGA hereby decamp from our party and join the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“We hereby collapse our structures into PDP and throw our support behind Valentine Ozigbo. Come November 6, we are urging all Ndi Anambra to come out in their numbers and vote for PDP, the Umbrella party which is big and accomodating to all.”
Some of the APC leaders who were at the decamping ceremony were Ezenwata Obimma (Deputy LG Chairman), Bibiana Mbamalu (Woman Leader), Vitua Ajugo (Youth Leader, Edith Michael (Exco), Theophilis Onyekwe (Exco), Chigbo Agazie (Umuchi 1), Ifeanyi Eenwamma (Auditor), Chibuike Okpalauchaegbu (Achinna 1), Ndubueze Ezebekwe, Emeka Ilo, Theresa Obiajunwa, Edwin Okeke, Edith Michael, Okoye Okechukwu.
In his response, Valentine Ozigbo thanked the new PDP members for their courage and urged them to be steadfast, affirming that the PDP would win the Saturday election.
The Anambra governorship election of November 6 promises to be tension-soaked as the contest comes down to three major political parties, Mr Valentine Ozigbo of the PDP, Professor Charles Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), and Senator Andy Ubah of the APC.
