By Ola ‘Kiya, Reporting
Hardly 14 months to the 2023 general elections, hundreds of members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State, on Saturday, abandoned Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege and Olorogun O’tega Emerhor and defected to the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Omo-Agege, who’s the undisputed leader of the APC in the state, although hasn’t made public his intention, is believed to be coveting the governorship seat in Asaba come 2023.
The acclaimed defectors were received to the family of the PDP at a PDP mega rally held in Asaba in Saturday.
They said APC in the state has been on life support as “we are the engine room before now.”
The defectors, who spoke separately at the rally, expressed happiness to be in PDP, adding that with their exit from APC, the opposition was dead in Delta.
Leading the pack of defectors were the former state chairman of APC, Cyril Ogodo; state publicity secretary of the APC caretaker committee, Sylvester Imonina; and former senatorial chairman of APC, Ben Onwuka.
Others included leaders of various APC support groups including Ovie Omo-Agege Solidarity Movement, G30 APC group led by Sylvester Ogbokuni; Leaders and Elders Council of APC Delta central led by Sylvester Kohwo; among others.
A founding leader of APC in the state and 2015 governorship candidate of the party, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, had earlier described the defectors as ‘stomach politicians’ who had been allegedly financially induced to declare for the PDP, noting that the APC would not miss them.
The former state APC publicity secretary Mr Ogodo, while speaking at the rally, said “we have come here to collapse APC in Delta. The hand we used in building APC is the same hand we now use to scatter it today.”
Elated Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, who assured that the defectors would be given equal treatment with old members of the PDP, cautioned aspirants for the 2023 general election and their followers to avoid unnecessary bickerings.
He also assured that the PDP primaries would be free and fair.
Okowa said with the rally, the PDP has made another loud statement across Nigeria that it was prepared to take over power at the centre come 2023.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the party in the state, Kingsley Esiso, noted that with the defection of key leaders of APC, PDP has reduced the APC by 90 per cent, boasting that the remaining 10 per cent would be harvested in another rally in six months time.
Meanwhile, Chief Emerhor, while reacting to the purported defection of Chief Cyril Ogodo, Chief Sylvester Kohwo and a few others to the PDP, had earlier said that they were never part of his political family.
“It is not true that members of the Emerhor Political Family, EPF, are decamping to the PDP as reported; the truth is that only a few misguided and disgruntled individuals are involved.
“Only Chief Ogodo, Chief Kohwo and a few are decamping after allegedly receiving cash inducements as ‘rally mobilisation.’
“Emerhor Political structures are intact. Hon Chief Alfred Oloko is the State Coordinator and Head of the EPF.
“Chief Cyril Ogodo was never the head. The EPF elders Forum is also intact. The Elders Forum is meeting this week to replace Chief Sylvester Kohwo, the erstwhile chairman,” the business mogul had explained.
