BENIN CITY – As the Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) wraps its aggressive campaigns for next Saturday’s local council polls, over 10,000 decampees from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have expressed their readiness to join the APC and support the developmental strides of the Godwin Obaseki-led administration.
The state APC chairman, Barr. Anselm Ojezua, said that more PDP members, whose hearts have been won by the purposeful leadership of Governor Obaseki, will join the APC in the coming days.
“The governor’s leadership style has endeared him to former political foes. Despite the challenges that the economic recession foisted on us, we have come out stronger and allocating scarce resources to areas where the need is greatest.

“Road projects are ongoing in all parts of the state, security is improving and our development partners from Asia and elsewhere are working on the industrial park and the Gelegele seaport. The Fertiliser and chemicals plant in Auchi is running as we speak and the civil servants are happy because they receive their salaries before the end of the month,” he said.
He assured that while no noise is made about these projects, “Governor Obaseki has the interest of Edo people at heart and has the expertise to frugally manage the state’s resources for optimal result.”
Ojezua said the 10,000 PDP decampees will be received on Thursday, at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City, at the party’s mega rally, which will mark the end of the campaign activities for the March 2018 local council elections.

The Edo State APC chairman said PDP’s withdrawal from the local council polls lends credence to the belief that the opposition party is dead and buried in Edo State.
“The Edo State PDP knows it cannot play in the big league where APC reigns supreme, and as expected, the party has accepted its fate as a mere observer and rabble-rouser in political contestations. Political parties contest elections, but the Edo PDP has abandoned its core objective, knowing the fate that awaits it in the local council elections,” he added.