Imo State governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma has said more governors on the platform of the main opposition party in the country, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would soon defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
He disclosed this on Monday while reacting to the move by his Ebonyi State counterpart, Dave Umahi to join the APC.
Investigation revealed that the Ebonyi State governor is under pressure from his colleagues in the PDP Governor’s Forum and the party National Working Committee led by Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal and Uche Secondus, respectively to review his stance.
Speaking with newsmen shortly after a meeting with the chairman of the party national Caretaker Committee and Yobe State governor, Mallam Mai Mala Buni, the Imo State governor said the South-East geopolitical zone was desirous of national integration which he claimed could only be guaranteed in the ruling party.
He said: “If you recall when I addressed you here a couple of months ago, I told you that the moment I resume office in Imo State as the governor, that the impression and the perception of our party in South East will change and the resultant effect will be that more credible individuals and governors will even join the party.
“Today, I am being vindicated because we are hearing it and I’m sure a few hours from now we get a confirmation that one of our best will be joining the party and is the Governor of Ebonyi State.
“Of course, I will be very glad and it will be my joy to welcome a governor and more governors. Not only him, we are still talking more governors to join. APC is the ruling party and for the interest of national integration and cohesion, Imo and South-East indeed needs to become part and parcel of the ruling party to make the Nigerian project a complete project.”
The governor also reacted to the legal tussle trailing the outcome of the party primary that produced Frank Ibezim as the APC candidate for the December 5 Imo North senatorial election.
Senator Uzodinma in a veiled reference to the court judgement that affirmed Senator Ifeanyi Araraume as a candidate said only the party could make a pronouncement on the authentic candidate for the forthcoming election.
“The most important thing is APC to win the election. The party has an internal mechanism of confirming who the candidate is. The Supreme Court has said it, the Electoral Act has said it. Every party has the right and it is only the party that sponsors a candidate. Of course, we have our candidate, there are some few legal issues going on. I don’t want to go into that now because the matter is pending in court, it is subjudice but at the end of the day we have a candidate.”
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