Ahead of the 2015 general elections, over 20,000 members of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Imo West Senatorial Zone, Imo state have dumped the party for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The decamped persons were mainly the supporters of the late Hon. (Mrs) Okwesilieze Igwe, a well known grassroots politician, whom until her shocking death a few weeks ago was a member representing Ideato North in Imo State House of Assembly and APGA senatorial candidate for Imo West (Orlu Zone) in the 2015 general elections.
While receiving the decampees at Orlu LGA, Imo state chairman of the PDP, Barr. Nnamdi Anyaehie described the Late Okwesilieze Igwe, who also served as an Executive Chairman of Ideato North LGA, as a grassroots politician who commanded massive political structure and intimidating follower-ship in the state before death snatched her away.
He applauded the decision of husband of the deceased politician and the apex leader of the groups, Hon. Christian Igwe, for emptying the entire political structure of his late wife into the PDP, adding that the decision to join the party and work for the victory of its candidates in the forthcoming general elections would be greatly rewarded at the appropriate time.
While urging the people to vote massively for the PDP including Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, the governorship candidate, Barr. Anyaehie described the party as the only ‘mainstream platform’ that provides vast opportunities for socio-economic development, infrastructural and human capital development that ought not to elude the people of Imo state.
Also speaking, the senator representing Orlu Zone in the senate who is also seeking a second term, Sen. Hope Uzodinma declared that with the entry of about 20,000 supporters of Late Igwe, the PDP and its candidates would be virtually returned unopposed in next month general elections in Orlu zone.
The senator, who presented the decamped persons with party cards, however eulogized the uncommon virtues of the departed lawmaker and promised to carry everyone along in his capacity as the senator representing the zone.
He directed the Campaign Director-General of his campaign, Barr. Rex Anunobi and the leadership of the PDP in the zone to work out an arrangement to properly integrate the various groups that formed the Okwesilieze Political Structure into his campaign council and the party fold towards creating a sustainable partnership for development, empowerment and political growth for everyone in the zone.
Uzodinma reiterated his commitment to always give quality representation to the people of the zone, adding that only votes for the PDP shall reposition the state for greater dividends of democracy for the people.
Earlier in his speech, the leader of the group, Hon. Christian Igwe said after the devastating death of her wife, whom he claimed would have won the senatorial seat, many politicians were falling on one another, aggressively struggling to inherit the massive political structure.
“But what they never knew was that my wife loved Sen. Hope Uzodinma and had wanted his elevation as the next governors of Imo state to enable her occupy the senate seat. That love and support my late wife had for Sen. Uzodinma are driving what we are doing today. You can now see that over 20,000 members of different political structures my late wife raised and nurtured are being handed over to Sen. Uzodinma as PDP members and his supporters starting from today. Our cardinal objective is to ensure that PDP wins landslide in Orlu zone in the next month general elections,” Igwe said.
