Immediate past governor of Ebonyi, Chief Martin Elechi on Sunday decamped
to the All Progressive Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP).
Elechi, a two time governor of Ebony, registered for the APC at his
country home in Echialike, Ikwo Local Government Area, in front of
national party leaders.
The party leaders were in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi capital, for a
thanksgiving church service for the recovery of President Muhammadu Buhari
from his ill-health, after which they moved to Ikwo.
According to Elechi, he decided to join APC due to his love for Buhari and
the current state of the PDP occasioned by its protracted crisis.
“I knew Buhari 49 years ago when I started the movement for the creation
of Ebonyi as he intervened during my arrest with nine other comrades, by
officers of the defunct Nigerian Security Organisation (NSO).
“I was interrogated while standing for nine hours and he as the Brigade
Major in Abakaliki at that time, ordered our immediate release.
“I thank God for his health as he had favoured the people of Abakaliki and
will triumph in his onerous task of rescuing the country from misrule.
“He is the person Nigerians are waiting for as the Boko Haram and
corruption issues could have been indescribable if God had not brought him
to power,” he said.
The former governor said that he was proud of the PDP due to the
democratic ideals of its founding fathers, but its present leaders have
truncated the ideal.
“I was elected governor on two occasions under its platform as it used to
be the pride of Africa, but was suddenly ravaged by self-inflicted crises
and afflictions.
“In 1983 when I was the Secretary of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN)
in the old Anambra, the budget for the national elections in Anambra and
Imo, now South East zone, was N170,000.
“In 2015, however, the budget for my impeachment was N3billion and this
was followed by the distortion and malpractice recorded in the primaries
and congresses to elect the PDP candidates.
“Those who were heavily bribed and intimidated with oaths were elected to
participate as delegates as court injunctions were illegally secured to
perpetrate these acts
“Armed security men surrounded people’s homes during the elections, ballot
boxes were snatched and all forms of impunity perpetrated,” he said.
He described the APC as the alternative for Ebonyi people and the Igbo
race and thanked the party for offering him and his supporters, a
political platform to identify with.
“Three years ago, I would have attacked anyone who said Ebonyi belongs to
APC, but currently, me identify with PDP–God forbid,” he said.
Dr Ogbonnia Onu, Minister of Science and Technology, thanked Elechi for
the decision and noted that President Buhari will be pleased to receive
the news.
“What you did today will never be forgotten in the history of the state as
we all should support President Buhari to actualise all his objectives for
Nigeria.’’
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), recalls that Elechi was the leader of
the campaign team when Onu contested Ebonyi governorship in 1999, on the
platform of All Peoples Party (APP).
Alhaji Kasheem Imam, APC National Leader called on the Igbos to identify
with the APC.
Mr Emma Enukwu, the APC South East Zonal Vice Chairman, noted that he was
in the state on the orders of the National Chairman, Chief John Oyegun to
ensure that Elechi registers with the party.
NAN reports that APC national, zonal and state leaders attended the
thanksgiving service and Elechi’s declaration.
The declaration was preceded by a thanksgiving church service at the St.
Theresa’s Catholic Church, Abakaliki, to thank God for President Buhari’s
recovery from ill-health. (NAN)