Okonji Shuts Oshimili South Against Opposition, Welcomes Defectors From APC, Others

About 1,000 members of various opposition parties in Oshimili South local government area have defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the past few weeks.

The Chairman of PDP in Oshimili South local government area, Ogbueshi Dada Okonji, made the revelation at Ward 3 (Okwe), in continuation of the on-going Ward visits by the PDP executives and leaders of the party in the area.

The defectors were from Ward 9 (West End), Ward 8 (Ugbomanta), Ward 11 (Cable Point), Ward 3 (Okwe) and Ward 5 (Umuaji). Among them were staunch APC members including Hon Samuel Okotuebo, Mrs. Franca Esealoka and Obi Samuel Ogochukwu.

Receiving the defectors at the various wards during the visits, the Chairman of PDP in the area, Ogbueshi Dada Okonji assured them of equal opportunity, adding that PDP was willing to welcome others who were not happy with activities in their party.

He called on all the ward chairmen to work with the defectors by giving them sense of belonging and their rights as members of PDP, adding that the rank of the opposition, especially the All Progressives Congress (APC) has depleted in the area.

Ogbueshi Okonji said that the party was still disposed to receive others who might wish to decamp to the PDP in appreciation of the numerous works the governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, was doing in the area.

According to him, Governor Okowa has touched every ward in Oshimili South local government, adding that population was growing because of influx of people due to development in the area and urged the people to vote for Okowa and all PDP candidates in the 2019 elections.

The chairman used the opportunity to enjoin political leaders to ensure that residents of their various wards possess their PVCs in readiness for the elections.

The leader of the decampees in Ward 8, Mrs. Esealoka, in her comments, attributed her joining the PDP to the need to vote for Senator Ifeanyi Okowa and all PDP candidates in the coming elections.

Specifically, she said she believes in equity and Delta North must be allowed to serve her two tenures, adding that in line with equity, Senator Okowa of Delta North deserves a second tenure.

Also at Ward 9, Hon Samuel Okotuebo, declared that they were ready to participate in coming elections under the PDP, stressing that they have come to join the PDP in electing Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Senator Okowa and all PDP candidates.