Major stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress have defected to the Peoples Democratic Party in Ekeremor Local Government Area as fallout of the decision of former Deputy Governor, Chief Peremobowei Ebebi to contest the Senatorial bye election under the platform of the APC.
The defectors from Ekeremor Ward 4 and 5 led to the PDP by Hon Gowon Abiezi include Messes Ben Olive, (a cousin to former Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri,) Timipakebi Koufa and Dr. Adolphus Owoupele.
The politicians who are the APC grassroots forces were received with hundreds of their supporters at the country home of former Governor Henry Seriake Dickson by the PDP Senatorial Vice Hon. Micheal Magbisa, the PDP Chairman from Ekeremor local government Perewarebo Esemokumo and others.
Spokesman of the group, Gowon Abiezi, who declared total support for the PDP Senatorial Candidate, said that all men of good conscience in the district should defend the long standing agreement on power sharing between the councils making up the Senatorial District.
He said that they decided to defect to the PDP to support the Senatorial bid of the former Governor because of his exceptional leadership qualities and track record of performance as the first two-term Governor of the State.
Gowon called on the people to back the Senatorial bid of Chief Dickson who according to him, had the capacity, experience and the right contact to give effective representation to the Ijaw nation.
Speaking also, Dr. Adolphous Owoupele, said that they were PDP returnees who would never return to the APC.
Owoupele who also insisted on the existing zoning arrangement in the council, said that any contestant for the position of Senate from outside Sagbama was unacceptable.
In his remarks, Chief Dickson commended the APC leaders for the bold move to stand for fairness and justice.
He said that the defectors who he described as good party men would enjoy equal privileges as their counterparts in the party.
