The scion of the late Igbo leader, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, Mr Ojukwu Jnr wednesday dumped the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) party founded by his father, for the All Progressives Congress (APC) same day as Awka, the Anambra State capital was shut down for over six hours, as a result of the visit of President Muhammadu Buhari, who was in the state to drum support for the candidate of the all progressives Congress, APC, Dr Tony Nwoye, in Saturday’s governorship poll.
The younger Ojukwu told President Buhari that his actions were to ensure that Igboland was moved into mainstream national politics.
He berated APGA for always dragging his late father out at every election, when in the true sense of it, he was sure his father would have loved to play in mainstream politics if he were alive.
Chief Victor Oye, national chairman of APGA who reacted to the defection said his defection had no force. He described Ojukwu Jnr. as a prodigal son.
As the hours ticked towards the president’s arrival, the state started experiencing traffic gridlock as early as 10am, when party supporters from all over the state started arriving in buses for the campaign.
Buhari who touched down in a presidential chopper at about 1:40pm at the Alex Ekwueme square was welcomed by Governor Willie Obiano, before he proceeded to the rally ground at the main bowl of the square.
The president while addressing party faithful called on the people of Anambra State to massively vote Dr. Tony Nwoye, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on. He said Anambra stands to benefit much by voting for the APC.
The president said apart from Anambra, the other states in the South-East would equally gain a lot as several infrastructures have been earmarked for construction in the South-East in the next year’s budget.
The president was accompanied by 12 governors, and 18 senators from the party, just as the rally witnessed attendance from serving national and state lawmakers, ministers, former governors and litany of APC bigwigs.
Dr Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Employment who spoke at the occasion said APC in Anambra was thorough in her choice of Nwoye and Dozie Ikedife as guber candidate and deputy respectively for the Nov.18 election.
Ngige who also hails from Anambra state noted that the massive crowd that took part in the rally was a sign that the party is on ground in Anambra.
“We have toured the nook and carnies of the state during our campaign tour we are ready for the election and the people are behind APC.
“The other political parties also in this contest are only afraid because they have done nothing to show the people that their parties deserve the mandate of Anambra people again’’, he said.
Ngige, a former governor of Anambra said most of the projects done by other parties crying wolf of rigging are self-inflicted defeat which must not be attributed to APC.
“If you are governor, your reward will come from the people when you perform well, the roads I built more than 14 years ago are standing, why the ones they built just yesterday are in bad shape, yet they want another mandate.
“My position here today is to sign a surety on behalf of the Nwoye and Ikedife, that the two will not fail our people if voted into office’’, he said.
