Delta State Agog as Cairo Ojougboh Dissolves PDP

…Decamps to APC with Over 14, 000 supporters.

By Favour Chukwunoyenim

The political configuration of Delta State was altered on Saturday 16 August 2016 following the defection of the ex-National Vice Chairman of the PDP, Dr Cairo Ojougboh.

Politicians from across the state converged on the ancient town of Agbor to welcome Dr Ojougboh and his teeming supporters into the APC.

The defection of the erstwhile PDP Chieftain also witnessed the dissolution of the entire Delta State, Local Government, Ward and Unit party structure of the PDP into the APC.

The event was attended by dignitaries such as the Honourable Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mr Ibe Kachikwu, National Vice Chairman of the APC, South South Chief Hilliard Eta, Olorogun Oghenetega Emerhor, General Nick Agbogun, State Chairman of APC, Prophet Jones Erue and members of the State Working Committee of the APC amongst many others.

Ojougboh supporters displaying their PDP membership cards which they later destroyed

At an expanded state caucus meeting of the PDP held earlier, members of the State Working Committee, Local Government and Ward Executive of the PDP renounced their membership of the party. The party stakeholders resolved to abandon the party due to the impunity of the party and the failure of the Okowa administration in Delta State.

While leading the over 14, 000 party faithfuls to destroy their PDP membership card, Dr Ojougboh regretted the impunity and high-handedness that has taken over the PDP both at the national and state levels while urging Deltans to rise up to effect a change in the leadership of Delta State in 2019. Dr Ojougboh assured that his defection is the beginning of the end of PDP in Delta State.

In an address the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mr Ibe Kachikwu praised Dr Ojougboh for joining the APC train describing it as the beginning of the transformation of the state and a quality addition to the rank of the progressives.

Cross-section of supporters and overflow crowd

Chief Hilliard Eta while welcoming Dr Ojougboh stated that the defection has effectively reduced the ranks of the PDP to a mere skeleton as the flesh and blood of the party represented by Ojougboh has departed from the party. He described Cairo Ojougboh as a great political asset with strong grassroots support while expressing confidence that with Ojougboh in the APC, the task of ending the PDP reign in the state was a done deal.

Goodwill messages was given by Olorogun Oghenetega Emerhor and several other leaders.

It would be recalled that Dr Cairo Ojougboh a founding member of the PDP was elected as the National Vice Chairman, South South of the PDP a position he held from 2012-2016. From there, Dr Ojougboh became the Deputy National Chairman of the PDP under the Chairmanship of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff.