Why we decided to dump APC for PDP – party chieftain

 

Governor Godwin Obaseki

By Jethro Ibileke

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Edo State, Sidney Egede, has explained why he led several hundreds of members of the party to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Egede who led his fellow defectors in Oredo Ward 1 to the PDP, explained that the APC failed to field a competent and popular candidate for the 21 September governorship election in the state.

“We are also worried by the person that won the APC ticket where we have qualified and more competent aspirants like Osagie Ize-Iyamu, David Imuse, the former State chairman of APC, Ernest Afolabi Umakhihe, the former permanent secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security,” he said.

Egede assured that more of the APC members in the ward would defect to PDP before the 21 September date of the election.

The State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwole Uzzi, who received the deflectors into PDP, commended them for taking the bold and courageous step to leave their party to join PDP.

He described the governorship candidate of the PDP, Asue Ighodalo and his running mate, Osarodion Ogie, as the most qualified and competent people to succeed the outgoing Governor Godwin Obaseki.

He urged the people of the ward to appreciate and reward Governor Obaseki for his magnanimity in appointing two persons from the ward, himself and Crusoe Osagie, into his cabinet.

Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the State Governor on Media Project, Crusoe Osagie, said the political dominance of APC in the ward has been defeated.

He described the defection of Sidney Egede, a chieftain of APC and his supporters to PDP as a major boost to the party, ahead of the governorship election.

He said: “In every election, one of those that give our party, the PDP a sleepless night and chances of winning the ward is Pastor Sidney Egede.

“But today, we are very happy to have him and his foot soldiers in the fold of the PDP. With him, the forthcoming election will be an easy one for us.

“I want to appeal to those that are still undecided or on the fence to join the party, because, PDP is a party that has the welfare of Edo citizens at heart.

“With Barrister Asue Ighodalo and Barrister Osarodion Ogie as the governor and deputy governor, as successors to Governor Obaseki, the state is again poised for more development.”