LAGOS — The Action Congress of Nigeria  has received a boost as Imo State indigenes in the United Kingdom agreed to forget their party differences and jointly support it in the coming April polls.

This came at a time the party also received defectors from Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Progressive Peoples Party, PPA, resident in the United Kingdom.

In a statement by Dr. Sam Emokpaire, Secretary, ACN, UK, the defection was aimed at mobilising for the ouster of the incumbent governor, Ikedi Ohakim.

He said the Imo indegenes in the UK believed that the current PDP government in the state  lacking in internal democracy and, therefore, resolved to join the ACN in solidarity with their leaders, Chief Ifeanyi Ararume, and Achike Udenwa who had previously left PDP for ACN.

He said: “The action is aimed at liberating Imo State from Ohakim’s lying and fraud-infested administration.”

Leader of the PDP defectors to the gathering where the resolution was made, Asoluka said ‘we have come to take our rightful position in the Nigerian polity and to  complete the revolution our indefatigable leaders, Chief Ifeanyi Ararume and Chief Achike Udenwa, started back home in Nigeria in order to actualise our collective dreams and save our state from total collapse.

“For the records, our mission is to take Imo State back from the criminal gangs and reposition it for the betterment of everybody and for future generations.’

Chief Chijioke Onyegbu, who also reacted on behalf of PPA, UK, said his former party was a huge disappointment.

He accused Governor Ohakim and his cronies of damaging the economy and polarising Imo State, adding that they had now decided to leave the PPA for ACN and work with Chief Ifeanyi Ararume to rescue the state from looters.

The former PDP members said they will mobilise all Imo indigenes in the UK and use every available resources at their disposal to support Ifeanyi Ararume to win the governorship election in April 2011.

They also appealed to eligible voters in Imo State to register so that they can use their votes to chase Ikedi Ohakim out of Government House democratically.

Welcoming the new members, a chieftain of the party, Dr Philip Idaewor, praised the former PDP and APGA members for their bold decision to dump their parties and join ACN.

In his speech, Dr Ibrahim Emokpaire, Secretary, ACN UK said ‘we are highly delighted to welcome our brothers and sisters to our great party, ACN. We are all partners in the party, and hopefully we shall work together to entrench real democracy in Nigeria.

Chairman of ACN UK, Dr Ayodele Owoade, assured the new members of a very warm welcome into ACN and urged them to work hard to ensure victory for the party in Imo State in the April 2011 elections”