The senator representing Edo North Senatorial District, Senator Francis Alimikhena, on Friday led scores of former stalwarts of the All Progressives Congress, APC, from Edo North to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Recall that Senator Alimikhena had in a letter dated May 27and sent to the APC National Chairman dumped the ruling party citing “injustice” as justification for his resignation from the party.
He later went ahead to join the PDP, and Saturday, June 4, 2022, emerged as the party’s candidate for the Edo North Senatorial District primary which was held at Auchi Public field Edo State.
Edo State deputy governor, Comrade Philip Shaibu, received Alimikhena and scores of other former APC stalwarts from Edo North to the fold of the PDP at the deputy governor lodge, GRA, Benin City.
The defectors, who came from the six local government areas of Edo North Senatorial District, said they were leaving the APC as a result of the injustice against the senator, who was denied a return ticket to the upper chamber, having lost the APC senatorial ticket to the former governor in the state, Comrade Adams Oshiomole.
Receiving the defectors, Shaibu faulted Oshiomhole for opting to contest the senatorial election, saying such was unbecoming of any political party leader.
The deputy governor said that having attained the position of National Chairman of the APC, Oshiomhole should have taken over the role of a statesman, who would be called upon at critical moments to resolve issues in the party.
“When you have problems in a political party, you run to the leader for solutions. But when you have the leader himself contesting the election, who do you run to when there are problems”, Shaibu asked.
He noted that the way Senator Alimikhena was schemed out of the APC senatorial race was the same way the Oshiomhole-led National Working, NWC, disqualified him (Shaibu) and Governor Godwin Obaseki of the APC gubernatorial primaries in 2020, adding that it was regrettable that nothing had changed in the party.
Shaibu said he was pleased to reunite with the people, with whom he had shared a political journey in the party, pointing out that the defection was a beginning of a movement that would sweep victory for the PDP in Edo North and the state as a whole in the forthcoming 2023 general elections.
“You’re welcome to the PDP. Together we will change the face of Edo North and the state in general. This is definitely a reunion to rescue the country. While I am very excited today, the aspect that gladdens my heart most is the invitation to Edo North to witness a tsunami of defection that will coast PDP to victory at all levels of government come 2023,” Shaibu enthused.
Representatives of the defectors from the six local government areas that made up the district said they wished to join Alimikhena in the PDP due to his unmatched achievements, adding that their coming to the PDP was to seek a refugee and the beginning of good things in the party.
They assured that their entry into the party had signified an end to the APC and resounding victories for the PDP in the subsequent elections in the area.
• Editor’s Note: Source Nigerian Tribune apart from the headline and first three paragraphs of the report.
