History was made yesterday August 4, 2014 at the Okigwe Road Owerri, Secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
That day, about 800 former Executive Committee members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at State, LGA and Ward level together with thousands of their supporters, decamped to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The occasion which was presided over by the state Chairman of Imo PDP, Barr. Nnamdi Anyaehie, saw such heavy weight APC Chieftains as Prince Marshal Okoroaforanyanwu, Chief Charles Onuoha and Lady Chidimma Akadike, dumping their former principal, Owelle Rochas Okorocha and the APC.
Others include Hon Ik Onyekwulisi(aka FBI) the Personal Assistant on Youth Affairs to Rochas Okorocha. He was the Commander of the Rochas Youth Vanguard and de-facto body guard of the now APC governor of Imo State. Others representatives of the Christian Community, keke operators, man’ O-war, Disabled Community. The Executive Committee members include one representative from each ward, five representatives from each of the 27 LGAs and LGA officers in addition to the former state woman leader of APC, Lady Akadike.
In his speech while presenting the decampees to the PDP State Chairman and the rest of his Exco members, Prince Marshal Okoroaforanyanwu, explained that it is criminal for any Governor to play the roles of a footballer striker and goal keeper at the same time.
Prince Marshal Okoroaforanyanwu on that note described the PDP State Chairman as an embodiment of intellect and purposeful leadership who is willing to give everyone a sense of belonging. He called for equal privileges to the APC decampees who are determined to enthrone a PDP government in Imo State come 2015, saying the decampees are men and women of integrity.
The APC decampees were also said to be the first to reach the polling booths and last to win the election, like in 2011. Chief Philip Uwazuruonye who had a running battle with former Governor Ikedi Ohakim while serving as TC Chairman of Nwangele LGA was also among the decampees. The Publicity Secretary, Barr Emma Onuegbu in his introductory speech described Uwazuruonye as someone who does not support evil. He praised Prince Marshal Okoroafor Anyanwu for packaging APC for Imo PDP and called for concerted efforts to achieve victory come 2015 especially now that APC has collapsed into PDP.
In his acceptance speech, Anyaehie declared, “we have decided to reclaim Imo to the glory of our children and posterity”. He promised to grant whatever is their hearts desire, assuring that they cannot work anymore for the baboons to chop but for all to work and chop adequately. He owned up to being aware of the contributions of the youths, artisans and keke operators who sacrificed to ensure the victory of Owelle Rochas Okorocha.
He then pleaded for the support of all including the governorship aspirants so that together victory will be achieved for the largest party in Africa come 2015. Victory songs then rented the air with “Aboki, lawaa, amaa nwannem emeziela”.
Chief Anyaehie later commended Ex-Governor of Imo State, Chief Ikedi Ohakim for his intervention in making sure that the APC decampees were assured of a level playing ground, as well as logistical supports and equal membership of the Peoples Democratic Party. The decampees were assured of joining a great party that would appreciate them, at all times and recognize their relevance and doggedness. Nothing according to Anyaehie would divide PDP anymore, more so observing that nobody was forced to leave Aboki or desert APC en masse for the PDP.
The highlight of the occasion was a total waiver granted to Prince Charles Onuoha to contest for the PDP governorship primaries and the reference to Governor Rochas Okorocha as a shareholder of AIT hence his heavy spending on AIT studios for cheap publicity. Another highlight was the promise that rather than contribute money to enthrone any governor as they were compelled to do in 2011 by Okorocha, Imo PDP will give the decampees the deserved money and announced automatic appointment of the decampees as co-ordinators in each of the 305 wards 27 LGAs for keke operators, Man O-war, physically challenged, and artisans.
