BY Ray Ozo
As Anambra state gears up for the 2025 governorship election, political strongholds of the Labour Party (LP), Young Progressives Party (YPP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ihiala Local Government Area of the state have all decamped to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
The decampees who said they were sick and tired of being in the opposition camp, said they decided to find solace in the All Progressives Grand Alliance because of the transformational leadership style of Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo and that Ihiala local government area is APGA through and through.
The reception ceremony which was well attended by political heavyweights like the House of Representatives member representing Ihiala federal constituency at the National Assembly Rt. Hon. Dr. Paschal Agbodike, Chairman of the Anambra State Local Government Service Commission Chief Vincent Ifeanyichukwu Ezeaka, State Secretary of APGA Hon. Engr. Levi Obiaduo, the State APGA Woman Leader Hon. Mrs. Esther Onyekesi, the Ihiala APGA local government chairman Hon. Arch. Chijioke Okoye, Ichie Collins Agbasiere, the lawmakers representing Ihiala one and two in the State House of Assembly and some other dignitaries, afforded them ample opportunity to welcome the decampees into APGA family in Ihiala.
Speaking on the occasion, the State Secretary of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Anambra State Hon. Engr. Levi Obiaduo who led the State Working Committee to the event, said the new entrants into the party were encouraged to show content and capacity in their respective wards.
Obiaduo said the PDP and other political parties have collapsed and that any politician in Ihiala Local Government Area who is not a member of APGA is beating about the bush, adding that there is no other political party in Ihiala except the All Progressives Grand Alliance.
Also a stakeholder of the All Progressives Grand Alliance in Ihiala Local Government Area, Ichie Collins Agbasiere, said the occasion was to officially receive the decampees from the opposition parties. He said the defectors were very strong pillars of their former political parties but chose to pitch tent with the ruling party in the state.
On his part, the APGa local government chairman in Ihiala, Hon. Engr. Chijioke Okoye, said the development was a turnaround for APGA and that more people will still come into the party, adding that they were five decampees who joined APGA.
Okoye said why the defectors left their previous party and joined APGA was because they have seen what Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo is doing in Anambra State. That in less than two years, Governor Soludo achieved what his predecessors could not achieve in eight years.
He noted that APGA believes in progressive and accountable governance judging from the developmental strides of the present administration. That the decampees saw the sterling heights of the state government and decided to join the ruling party to support Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo's government.
He said the decampees however assured the party that they would collapse all their grassroots structures into APGA inorder to work vigorously for Governor Soludo's reelection in 2025.
He also listed names of the decampees to include Chief Hon. Odera Ilozulike former major stakeholder of the PDP in Uzoakwa ward Ihiala; Mr. Ugochukwu Ejezie former major stalwart of the YPP in Uzoakwa ward Ihiala; Chief Ceaser Sam Obidile former major stakeholder of the Labour Party in Amamu ward one and Hon. Nonso Alisigwe former stakeholder of the PDP in Amamu ward one Ihiala.