More than one month after President Goodluck Jonathan and the Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP, held a Unity Rally in Imo State, the gale of
defections has continued to blow across the state, with more prominent
members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, defecting to the PDP in
the state.
The latest news was that more than 6000 members of the APC in Umunam
Atta community in Njaba Local Government Area of the state were led back to the PDP by the leader of the APC in the area, Chief
John Agbasi.
This came less than two weeks after the APC apex leader in Oru East
and former member of the House of Representatives, Chief Cajethan Dike
defected with his supporters to the PDP.
Chief Agbasi, who decamped alongside the former governor, Chief Achike
Udenwa, from the PDP in 2010, was welcomed back to the  party
alongside the thousands of others from various communities in the area
by the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Emeka
Ihedioha, Senator Hope Uzodinma, the member representing
Nkwerre/Isu/Nwangele/Njaba Federeal Constituency, Sir Chudi Onyereri;
member representing Njaba State Constituency, Hon. Kevin Chino Obioha;
the state executive council of the PDP and others.
Speaking at the event held at the National Primary School Umunam Atta
playground, Chief Ihedioha commended Agbasi for taking a bold step to
return back to the house he contributed heavily to build.
Ihedioha, who was represented by his political adviser, Chief Emma
Dike, expressed happiness at the crowd of people that returned with
Agbasi to the PDP, assured the returnees that President Jonathan would
hear about it.
The deputy speaker urged them not to allow any other party to
infiltrate into the area, as according to him, the PDP was coming to
reposition the state in 2015.
In his speech, the state PDP chairman, Barr. Nnamdi Anyaehie, while
welcoming Agbasi and his people back to the party, told them that the
party currently had been rebuilt and as such whatever that led them to
leave the party in the past would never happen again.
He said he was aware that it was an implosion that cost the party its
governorship victory in 2011, when so many systems were superimposed
on the party structure making it impossible for people to freely
operate, assuring that all that had now changed with the party wearing
a new face that is ready to accommodate everyone.
The PDP chairman who was represented by the party treasurer, Architect
Magnus Chilaka, assured that the party must return to the part of
justice and fairness, adding that six months into the party’s reign in
2015, all executive chairmen and councilors of local governments must
be paid their salaries and allowances.
He commended Chief Agbasi for returning back to his root, saying with
the returnees, PDP in Njaba would have a credible platform to win
every election in the state, saying the party must do everything to
remove Governor Rochas Okorocha-led government which he described as a
government of the family by the family.
Speaking earlier, the member representing Nkwerre/Isu/Nwangele/Njaba
Federal constituency, Sir Jones Onyereri commended Agbasi for making
the PDP proud by returning back to the party he put so much resources
to build, describing their return as one of the most important events
that happened in the party in the area recently.
In their separate remarks, the former deputy speaker of the Imo State
House Assembly, Chief Chuma Nnaji, the member representing NJaba state
constituency, Hon. Kevin Chino Obioha, and Chief Christopher
Ohuruzor(Ishi Mmiri) Â described Agbasi as a great and leader who
fights doggedly to ensure his party wins any election.
They said if PDP would have had 70 percent victory in 2015, with
Agbasi, the victory would complete 100, saying despite not contesting
for any position, he has numerous supporters in Njaba and across the
federal constituency.
In his speech, Chief Agbasi thanked the state executive council iof
the party for accepting them back into the PDP fold, saying he had
returned back to his roots because he was one of those who started the
party until what happened in 2011 led them to leave.
He said they left in 2011 to prove a point, which was to attract the
party’s attention when no one cared about them, a development he said
worked well.
Agbasi explained that they actually went to APC and found out it could
not be a better alternative to the PDP and decided to return to assist
in rebuilding the party to achieve every victory in 2015.
He called for the interest of the party to be utmost in the mind of
every PDP member especially the aspirants.
