From Joshua Chibuzo Andrew
Governorship candidate of the Labour Party in the last election in Imo state, Senator Athan Achonu, and his supporters have allegedly rejected the defection plan by the resigned former chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha.
Information available to Impartial Observers has it that the Senator made his stands known weekend when the Abia State Governor, Alex Oti drew his attention to the move.
It can be recalled that few days after his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party, Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha made entreaties to join the Labour Party, ostensibly to be in charge of the party’s forthcoming Ward, LGA, State and National congresses.
An insider source disclosed that Ihedioha was during weekend paid an unscheduled visit to the Abia state Governor, Alex Oti ahead of his rumoured defection.
Regrettably, the source revealed that the Abia state Governor, Oti was worried that Ihedioha neither, informed, visited the Labour Party Governorship candidate in the 2023 election in Imo state, Senator Athan Achonu, since after his resignation nor invited him to accompany him on the visit.
He maintained that Governor Oti made it emphatically clear that since Labour party respects dedication of members, and contribution to party development, it would amounts to injustice to dissolve the structure of the party in Imo state because of new entrants.
According to the source, in ensuring that his meeting with Ihedioha was not misinterpreted, Governor Oti was said to have connected Senator Achonu on phone to get his comment on Ihedioha’s proposed defection.
Painfully, the source revealed that Senator Achonu vehemently rejected Ihedioha’s move to join the party, citing his overbearing influence in any party he belongs, including his alleged arrogance to leaders, adding that his comment in far away Ghana describing anyone who voted Peter Obi in the presidential election as saboteur remains afresh and capable of destroying the party’s reputation.
Meanwhile, Senator Achonu has allegedly called on Ward and Local Government Exco of Labour Party in Imo state not to panic over their positions, assuring them that no new comer would ever unseat them.
Achonu was quoted to have said, “I am one armed General, I defeated a retired General with one arm, the issue of Ihedioha coming to create havoc in our party can’t be tolerated. We shall do everything possible to disgrace them. Labour Party is not PDP where one person claimed to be the owner of everything before he was pursued. This time, we shall deal decisively with them squarely as the event unfolds”
