Edo State and a chieftain of All Progressive Party (APC), Solomon Edebiri
A former governorshipi candidate of the now rested All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in the 2012 governorship election in Edo State and a chieftain of All Progressive Party (APC), Solomon Edebiri, has defected to People Democratic Party (PDP).
Edibiri and APC Woman Leader, Mrs Kate Asemota, formally declared for PDP Thursday in Benin City.
They were received alongside their supporters, who trooped out in their thousands, by the state PDP chairman, Chief Dan Orbih.
Edebiri described APC in Edo State as a “limited liability company, where Governor Adams Oshiomhole is the manager.”
He said though he led his erstwhile party, the ANPP, along with the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) to form the APC, lack of internal democracy and other anti-democratic tendencies of the old ACN were carried over to the APC.
Lamented Edebiri, “What took place in Edo State during and after the last local government congress negated all I thought about how democracy should be practiced. Before my very eyes,
“I saw the erosion of the principles of agreement which we all swore to uphold. Efforts aimed at resolving these issues met brick walls and there was no sign that the situation was going to get better.
“Believing that the political aspirations of my people cannot be met within the APC, I hereby without regret denounce my membership of APC and join the PDP along with my followers from this day onward. I took this decision, not for myself alone but for the over 100,000 party members that believe in the Solomon Edebiri philosophy,” explained Edebiri.
While welcoming Edebiri, APC Woman Leader, Mrs Kate Asemota, and members of the Edo Boys Group, Chief Orbih said the occasion marked the beginning of the fall of the Edo APC.
He said Governor Adams Oshiomhole rode on the back of workers in the state to become governor but abandoned them no sooner than assuming office.
He remarked that Oshiomhole's APC government has impoverished the people of the state through oppressive tax policies and failed electoral promises.
“He (Oshiomhole) deceived workers, teachers, students, doctors, okada riders, market women, artisans and everybody but he could not deceive me.
He could not deceive me because I knew him and I still know him very much,” he stated.
Orbih appealed to other APC yet to make up their minds to “come home” to PDP, assuring that his party was prepared to embrace them.
The PDP chairman praised the Oba of Benin, Oba Erediawa, for supporting President Goodluck Jonathan, pointing out that all hands must be on the deck to return Edo State to the mainstream of Nigeria's political system.
The rally was attended by leaders of the Edo State chapter of the PDP including a former deputy governor of the state, Chief Lucky Imasuen; former speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Zakawanu Garuba and Senator Roland Owei,
Also in attendance were Pharmacist Matthew Urhogide, Chief Henry Tenebe, Hon Christopher Adesotu, Cheir Henry Tenebe among others