PDP Receives Over 500,000 Returnees From APC, Others In Rivers

Ahead of the 2023 elections in Rivers State, over 500,000 decampees from difference political parties, including All Progressives Congress (APC) in Asari-Toru Local Government Area of the state recently joined the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Speaking on behalf of the returnees at Buguma, the headquarters of the council, a former chieftain of APC, Hon. Daddy West, said they were at the mini rally of the party to formally inform the state and the LGA party chairmen and members of their executives that APC members, including other political parties, had decided to join PDP in the area.
“We are here to tell you, Sir, that we are members of APC, and other parties from Asari-Toru LGA, but now resigned after looking at everything our brothers, the LGA chairman and the Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike are doing. They are wonderfully doing well, and the leadership of the party is also doing wonderfully well. The level of unity and understanding that is existing in the PDP does not exist in any other political party in the state. I can assure you that all over the country, PDP Rivers State is known to be more organised and stronger than in any other state in Nigeria”, he said.
West said their decision to return to PDP was genuine, assuring that they would do their very best to ensure that the party in the state continues to remain on top.
He said they were currently mobilising their followers in the APC in the area and in other local government areas to join them in the PDP.
“I can assure you, some of my colleagues at the grassroots have been calling me, and I have given them direction to see their party leaders in their local governments. I am sure very soon, they will all be coming back”, he said.
Addressing the returnees, the State Chairman of the PDP, Amb Desmond Akawor, thanked them for taking such a bold and wise decision to return to their original home, describing their home-coming as timely.
Akawor, who told them that there was nothing like new and old members in the PDP, urged the returnees to support the foundation that Governor Nyesom Wike had laid for the prosperity of the state.
He said the party was working assiduously to make sure that Governor Nyesom Wike’s administration had a smooth transition in 2023, noting that this could only be achieved when everybody works together.
According to Akawor, “The present PDP government in the state would not go to the people to tell them what they want to do, we will tell them what we have done”, insisting that Wike was working for the overall interest of the state.
He also thanked the returnees for retracing their steps to rejoin the party.
On his part, the Chairman of the party in the local government, Hon. Obie Tom-West, promised that the returnees would be properly integrated into the system, and that their rights would given to them without any segregation.
The party chairman said that the PDP in the local government decided to present the returnees to the state party chairman for final integration.
“The journey that has culminated in our being here started about a month ago, but we are grateful to God Almighty who made today a reality”.
The Chairman of Asari-Toru Local Government Area, Hon Oningeyeofori George, described the decampees as foot soldiers.
He expressed happiness that they finally embraced the PDP family.
George also described their home-coming as a big plus for PDP, and commended their decision while assuring them of the cooperation of all members of the party in the area.

By: Enoch Epelle