Ahead of the 2023 general elections, the gale of defections has continued in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oshimili South local government area following the defection of 36 members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the PDP.
The former members of the APC who have now identified with the PDP set their brooms ablaze and sought shelter under the umbrella at a stakeholders meeting convened by the Chairman of the PDP in Oshimili South Local Government Area, Ogbueshi Dada Okonji.
At the meeting, which held in Asaba, Ogbueshi Okonji charged members of the PDP to take advantage of the physical and online continuous voters’ registration exercise by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and get their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) ready.
While warning on the dangers of political apathy, Okonji stressed that more polling units had been established in every ward of the local government, just as he commended Governor Ifeanyi Okowa for appointing two commissioners, Dr Mordi Ononye and Barr Bridget Anyafulu, from the area, into the State Executive Council (SEC).
‘’We thank Governor Okowa for all that he has done in Oshimili South. We cannot thank him enough for all the infrastructural development, the human capacity building and the recent appointment of two commissioners from the local government.
‘’Therefore, it is very necessary for our members to get their voters’ cards ahead of the next general elections. Those who do not have, those who are now of age (18 years) and those who may have relocated to the local government should go and register with INEC’’ Okonji said.
He charged political appointees from the local government to gear up for the periodic empowerment of the grassroots by the party which was earlier suspended due to elections, even as he reassured members of the PDP’s competence to win all elections.
Meanwhile, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Peace Building and Conflict Resolution, Chief Edwin Uzor, called for all hands to be on deck ahead of the elections, just as he emphasized the need for members to get themselves and their wards, who are of age, registered with INEC.
Speaking for the decampees, Mr. Iloba Arinze said that they decided to abandon the APC, having realized that their efforts to build the party were in futility, while pledging their loyalty to their new party, the PDP.
Highpoint of the meeting was the presentation of membership cards to the new members as well as the pubic incineration of brooms, being the symbol of the opposition party, APC.
