Barely three weeks to the Governorship election in Anambra State, Governor Willie Obiano’s Deputy, Nkem Okeke has dumped the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) to join the All Progressive Congress (APC) as APGA described Okeke as inconsequential to the ruling party in the state.
Okeke was presented to President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, by the APC caretaker chairman and Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, and Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, on Wednesday.
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Mr Uzodinma is the chairman of the APC campaign council for the Anambra election. A photo of the meeting at the villa showed Mr Buhari, Governor Uzodinma, and Mr Okeke jointly holding a large-size flag of the APC.
Before now, there was a rumour about Mr Okeke’s defection to the APC, but the deputy governor did not publicly react to the rumour then.
Before now, Six state lawmakers defected from APGA to the APC. This includes a senator from the state, Stella Oduah who also defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the APC.
In their reaction, the APGA has dismissed as inconsequential, the defection of Dr Okeke, the Deputy Governor of Anambra to the APC.
In a statement issued in Awka by Mr Tex Okechukwu, APGA National Publicity Secretary, the party said the defection was long expected.
According to APGA, the deputy governor had thought that the governor and the party were going to hand over the governorship ticket of the party to him on a platter.
“When that didn’t happen, he started behaving abnormally, even to the point of insubordination and dereliction of duties,” it said.
APGA said the deputy governor left the party without formally notifying the party or the state governor, adding that the move was uncalled for, ill-timed and ill-advised. According to the statement, the governor had always treated his deputy with respect, love and consideration.
APGA called on party members to remain united and ensure victory in the Nov. 6 governorship election. It called on Gov. Willie Obiano not to be distracted by the defection of his deputy, which it claimed was a ploy to create a semblance of disunity in his government.
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“Let nobody be deceived, APC has no root anywhere in Anambra and that is why all that they do is going about luring political deadwood with money and other lucres.
“No matter the designs of the opposition and other subterranean forces, APGA is poised to win the forthcoming election and continue with the massive infrastructural development going on in the state.”, it read.
