Ebonyi State: PDP Former Lawmaker, Over 150 Others Defect to APC In Afikpo North LGA
From Okoh OMAKA (Abakaliki)
The former Ebonyi State House of Assembly member, representing Afikpo Northeast Constituency, Hon Mrs Ngozi Eziulo of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and over one hundred and fifty others have defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Afikpo North local government area.
Other prominent stakeholders who dumped PDP include Hon Raymond Nkama, former local government coordinator and Special Assistant on Attitudinal Change to the past administration, wards chairmen, secretaries women, and youth leaders and their teeming supporters.
THE BEAGLE NEWS checks revealed that Ngozi, the former lawmaker, had a running battle with the immediate past Governor and incumbent. Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi, for failing to defect with Umahi to APC.
Following her refusal, Umahi was said to have fought her to a standstill and ensured she lost out at the last general election and went ahead and withheld all her salaries and allowances due her.
THE BEAGLE NEWS authouritatively gathered that her defection might not be unconnected with the moves to secure her political future and see how she can get all her allowances owed her the governemnt.
Ngozi, it was gathered, was a colleague with the Governor Francis Nwifuru, who was the speaker of the House then. So,the commaradeire spirit seems to be playing out in the present circumstance.
Besides, Ngozi is seen as a grassroots and dogged politician who can add electoral value to APC in Afikpo.
Speaking during the defection rally held at Amuro Field on Saturday, May, 4, Ngozi promised to work with the party and the Governor Francis Nwifuru -led administration to rebuild Ebonyi state, commending the APC for its magnanimity.
Also speaking at the rally, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Engr. Chief Ibru Ogbonna Nwachi, commended the defectors for third bold steps in moving over to the ruling party, maintaining that none of his friends, associates and acolytes will be in opposition.
Engr Nwachi, who acknowledged the infrastructure and human capital blended government of Governor Nwifuru, said he had to woo them to join the good governance of the Governor in his avowed vision of realizing the vision of the founding fathers.
Present at the event included party stakeholders, stalwarts, members of the state executive council, members of the Ibru Initiative for Good Governance,.
The defectors were received by the APC State Chairman, Hon Stanley Okoro Emegha.
