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From Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki
The opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi State has boasted that it will unseat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state in next year’s general election.
Leaders of the party in the state stated this in Onicha, at the weekend, while receiving Chief Felix Igboke, the state Commissioner for Project Monitoring and Evaluation, who resigned his appointment last month, into the party.
The leaders, including Ugochukwu Obasi, Ebonyi South zonal Chairman of the party; Chukwuma Igwe, the state party’s Chairman; Moses Idika, National Ex-officio of the party; Ovuta Herbert, Chairman of the party in Onicha Local Government Area; Maria Ude Nwachi, Ebonyi South senatorial candidate of the party for next year’s general election; Dr. Eni Uduma Chima, Afikpo/Edda federal constituency candidate of the party for the 2027 general election, among others, declared that PDP has credible candidates in all the elective positions that will defeat APC during the election.
Addressing the mammoth crowd during the reception, Obasi described PDP as eagle with formidable force that will wrestle power from the APC, come 2027.
“There is something that is happening. God has already shifted the thing that is happening and PDP is going to the Government House. Those who have seen it on time are already coming to PDP.
“If it is raining, you use umbrella to shield yourself, and if the sun is much, you use umbrella to protect yourself. So, PDP has come to stay.
“Can we take this message to our people to tell them that there is a new thing that is happening, that God is changing the narrative and that God is planting PDP in the government house. God is planting PDP in the red chambers, God is going to plant PDP in the green chambers, even in the House of Assembly, it is going to be PDP. The ship has left behind whoever that is not in PDP.
“If you have been observing what is happening in Nigeria, even in Ebonyi State, you will discover that APC has failed woefully; people are yearning for change, people want a party that will be able to deliver the dividends of democracy, and PDP is the only party that can do that”, he said.
On his part, the local government Chairman of the party, Ovuta Herbert, said the candidates of the party in all the positions have touched lives and described them as government of its own.
“We have an edge over the present administration in the state because they have not done anything. You can see that people want change, real change, and not this type they brought.
“The government has not commissioned any project since three years it came on board, not even one. But an individual, Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii (Anyichuks) have been going round doing good in the state, building and commissioning projects for individuals”, Ovuta said.
Candidate of the party for Afikpo/Edda federal constituency, Dr. Eni Uduma Chima, who also resigned his appointment as Chairman, Fertiliser Chemical Company Board in the state and membership of the APC, described the defection of Felix Igboke as sabber-radling and sample of what is to come.
“This is home-coming for some of us, we have done a lot of elections in PDP. I have three certificates of returns, Igboke also has certificate of returns and appointments got in PDP.
“It is better to stay where you will have peace of mind, not where people will support you, give you ticket, and sabotage it. An open foe may prove for a cause, but a pretended friend is worst.
“So, it is better we stay in a place we are sure of, not people who will give you a ticket with one hand and sabotage it with the other hand. From the party we left, we have a party chairman who boasted that he sabotaged his own party. We have the video and there was no query, no sanction, no reprimand, whatsoever, and that is not the way to go”, he stated.
He boasted that PDP was giving power back to the people and expressed the hope that it will form the new government in the state come 2027.
In his speech during the reception, the former Commissioner for Project Monitoring and Evaluation and former Chairman of Onicha Local Government Area, Felix Igboke, said he was rejoining the PDP which he described as his home with over 10,000 supporters across the area, Ohaozara, Onicha, and Ivo federal constituency and beyond.
Igboke also described the governorship candidate of the party, Chief Ifeanyi Odii, as unopposed and incoming governor of the state. He opined that he became what he is politically under the PDP, and has resolved to return to the party after seeking greener pastures in APC.
“I have been a coordinator under PDP, I was a council chairman of Onicha under PDP. We left together sometime ago to APC. I am back home and I want to tell you, Mr. chairman, that both those that are here and those that are not here, I am defecting to PDP with 10,000 and above followers.
“We have our youths all over, both within Isu community and across Isu. We are not here to brag, this is time for real business. I saw on social media, some persons saying anti-party, stop going out of the party.
“The master of anti-party is the APC state chairman. He did it openly and nothing happened, he said it and nothing happened. He wants to be in charge of the party to himself and decide it’s affairs. But me, Igboke, believe in the masses and we are here back home to the party that we built together”, Igboke said.
