17 LGA Acting Chairmen Defect To APC In Edo
By Simeon OSAJIE
Seventeen legislative leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that were sworn-in as Acting chairmen by Governor Monday Okpebholo after the suspension of elected local government chairmen in Edo State today formally defected to the All Progressives Congress, (APC) the State.
The9jaTREND reports that the legislative leaders of the 18 local government councils were elected alongside the suspended chairmen on September 2, 2023.
The local government legislators, however, took over the leadership of the various councils following the suspension of the elected chairmen and deputies for two months by the Edo State House of Assembly over alleged insurbodination to Governor Monday Okpebholo.
Out of the 18 local government council chairmen in the state, only one chairman – Tom Obaseki of Oredo LGA survived the purported impeachment.
Receiving the Acting LG chairmen at the Government House, Governor Okpebholo commended them for the courage to dump their party, to the ruling party in the State.
According to him, “I welcome you all our Chairmen who have come to join us, and I praise you for the courage and bravery to leave your party to join the APC. It takes a grounded politician to take this step you have taken today.
“Let me draw your minds back to where we are coming from as an administration. We practically met that Edo was not working when we came into the office. What we met in Edo was insecurity, killings, looting Edo treasury using consultants to deceive Edo people and other backward policies implemented by the Obaseki-led administration, but we came and changed the narrative.”
Governor Okpebholo expressed optimism that leaders of the opposition parties would join the APC fold following his infrastructural development strides in the state.
The governor, who promised that his administration is ready to work to change the lives of the people for the better, claimed that in just four months in office, he and his team have changed the narrative of Edo State.
He also thanked the councillors for speaking for their various communities through the impeachment exercises in the councils and subsequent election of the new chairmen across the 17 local government areas of Edo State.
Earlier, Lawrence Okah, the State Secretary of APC, who received the defectors on behalf of the state chairman, Emperor Jarret Tenebe, thanked the councillors for joining the party.
He urged them to unite with other members of the party as the administration of Governor Okpebholo has come to rescue the state from retrogression.
“The desire of the governor is to unite the state and ensure the people enjoy the dividends of democracy through his developmental strides,” he added.
Responding on behalf of the chairmen, the ALGON chairman and chairman of Esan Central local government Councilq, Kelvin Iyere thanked the governor and all APC party faithful for accepting them into the fold of the APC.
Iyere noted that they decided to decamp from PDP because of the crisis in their party and their love for the development that Governor Okpebholo has brought to Edo State.
