By Chimaobi Nwaiwu, Nnewi

AS member representing  Orumba North and South Federal Constituency Hon. Ben Nwankwo, weekend, in Umunze, Orumba South Local Government Area, Anambra State dumped Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, effort by the PDP to win the Anambra governorship election, particularly in the two LGAs appears to have suffered a set back.

The decamping of Hon. Nwankwo from PDP to APGA according to him, was in agreement with the decision of the people in the area to support a government they said has done so much for them in infrastructural development.

L-R: Dr Okey Udeh,Hon. Ben Nwankwo, Chief Victor Oye, Governor Obiano addressing APGA supporters, his wife Ebelechukwu, Chief Victor Umeh and Chief Mrs Bianca Ojukwu listens.

Nwankwo used the opportunity of the APGA campaign flag in Orumba South LGA, which was attended by Governor Willie Obiano, National Chairman of APGA, Chief Victor Oye, Director General, Governor Willie Obiano Reelection Campaign Committee, Chief Victor Umeh, former CBN Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, APGA governorship candidate in Abia State, Dr Alex Oti and former Ambassador of Nigeria to Spain, Chief Mrs. Bianca Ojukwu, two former deputy governors of Anambra State, Dr. Okey Udeh, and Chief Emeka Sibudu, announced his declaration for APGA.

Governor Obiano had earlier in the day flagged off the Orumba North L.G.A campaign at its Ajalli headquarters, with all the party stalwarts earlier mentioned in attendance, where Nwankwo made a brief appearance to welcome the APGA team, before he retired to his Orumba South L.G.A to wait for their campaign flag off and his subsequent declaration for APGA.

Addressing thousands of supporters at the Orumba South L.G.A headquarters, Umunze, Nwankwo said he was moving with over five thousand supporters from the two LGAs that make up the Federal Constituency to APGA because of the few things Governor Willie Obiano led APGA government has done for his people.

He said that of all the governments in the state, it was the present APGA government that brought electricity from Oji River in Enugu State to Orumba North and South LGA, a distance of 45 kilometres and since then they have been having 16 hours of electricity supply.

“I have been elected under four times under PDP, my people have told me to leave PDP and join APGA. I came here to deliver Orumba as a whole, I am the legitimate representative of Orumba North and South L.G.As, how can we abandon a governor who is working for my people.

“From Amansii in Awka the state capital to Orumba the present APGA government has installed street lights, we have to do what we know is the best for our people, Governor Obiano has worked and he will win this election and complete his eight years in office and hand over to somebody from Anambra South.

It will be unfair for the people of Orumba North and South Federal Constituency not to vote for APGA government that has done a lot and is still doing more for us, you rightly deserve our votes, you are developing a development corridor of Anambra State when you are developing this Federal Constituency.

“Today I have left the “Persecution Development Party” another name for Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the Egypt that we saw yesterday, we shall see no more, we have collapsed Orumba PDP to APGA, I am joining APGA with over five thousand people today.

“I have come to add value, not to destroy; I want all the APGA faithful in this Federal Constituency not to be afraid of me, I am not coming to displace anybody, I will respect everybody and so do I expect respect from all the faithful, we will work together to deliver Obiano for a second tenure.”

Governor, Obiano, Chief Umeh, Chief Mrs. Ojukwu, Prof. Soludo, Dr. Oti and all the party stalwart who spoke one after the other during the occasion expressed happiness that APGA which remains the symbol of late Dim Chukwuemeka Odumuegwu Ojukwu, will remain a party to beat in Anambra State and South East in general.

Former Governor of Anambra State Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife, commended Nwankwo, who was his former aide for his wisdom in joining APGA, adding that “if you understand what is happening in Nigeria today, you do not need to be begged to join APGA, do the rightful and God will do the rest for us.”