No fewer than 500 members of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP) in Amaeka community, Ezza South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The APGA, PDP, LP members were led into the APC on the Christmas day by their leaders including Chidiebere Congress ( former PDP youth leader in the community and Pastor Christian Nwokpoku.
They were received by the state Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Business Development, Chief Oguzor Offia Nwali who organized Christmas Party for the people of the community, APC zonal Chairman Ebonyi Central, Chief Peter Nworie and Amaeka Ward Chairman of the party, Maduabuchi Nwafor.
Addressing the defectors and the community, Nwali assured them of level playing ground and commended them for joining the party.
He noted that the party was so large and open to welcome everybody in order to join hand with Governor Francis Nwifuru and move the state forward.
“There is nothing like party. The more the merrier for all of us. The more in numbers, the more the party fare better. We need everybody in the party, today is a great day for me for us to be able champion one course and that one course is unity, progress and support for the government we are serving which is the government that has remembered Amaeka and the state in general.
“Things have turned around since the governor came on board. Retirees have been paid those 25 years retirement benefits, hawkers in various cities have been empowered with N2million each. The governor is a leader we can trust, and this is the first time I have stop condemning the government not because I am part of the government, but because the governor has changed the narrative of governance in the state”, he stated.
APC Zonal Chairman, Ebonyi Central, Chief Peter Nworie, said the defection marked the end of opposition in the community.
He urged the defectors to respect leaders of the party, assuring that there will be no segregation against them.
Some of the defectors including Chidiebere Uguru and Pastor Christian Nwokpoku said they decided to join APC because of the leadership style of Governor Francis Nwifuru.
Uguru noted that the governor has carried the community along in the scheme of things including appointment of sons and daughters of the area in positions of authority and empowerment of many indigenes of the community in the empowerment programme of his administration.
“APC is our party, we have declared for it. We are now members of APC, no more opposition in Amaeke community.
“From today, we out of PDP, APGA and Labour Party. We are for APC now, APC is a party that gives light, provide electricity, gives empowerment, APC is a party to be. What APC is doing in our state is good and we cannot afford to be in opposition.
“We should be baptized in APC, we are APC for life. There is no more opposition in Ameka, what we now have is APC all through because we cannot afford to be in opposition when the government is carrying us along in everything it does”, he stated.