Ihedioha’s former Chief of Staff Okewulonu, finally joins APC
By Jeffrey Agbo
Chris Okewulonu, former Chief of Staff to ex-governor Emeka Ihedioha of Imo State, and a former deputy governorship candidate, Chuma Nnaji, have defected to the All Progressives Congress.
They officially joined the APC on Friday and were received at the party’s secretariat in Owerri by Governor Hope Uzodimma.
Okewulonu resigned from the PDP as a member and as a part of the party’s board of trustees months ago.
Addressing party members, he said: “My decision to leave that party was taken after deep introspection, coupled with lengthy consultations with members of my family, my political colleagues and my well-wishers.
“My decision was equally rooted in my conviction that the qualities which formed the essence of the PDP as a political party, and which ab initio informed my attraction to it, had been continuously eroded, totally degraded and finally and irretrievably lost.”
Okewulonu explained that his break from political activity allowed him to observe Imo’s political landscape critically.
He acknowledged Uzodimma’s leadership and achievements.
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“Five years down the road, I have come to the inescapable conviction that the 3R administration of Senator Hope Uzodimma has meant well for the people of Imo State, and has been doing its utmost to effectively and efficiently deliver the dividends of good governance to them.
“The humongous roads and other infrastructural interventions, and the human capacity building initiatives undertaken by the Senator Hope Uzodimma administration are eloquent testimonials to my belief and assertion,” Okewulonu said.
Uzodimma welcomed the defectors, emphasising the significance of their decision.
“APC was seen as a foreign party because of the unfortunate outing in the past. We became victims of mistaken identity. Today, the only party that meant well for Imo citizens is APC,” he said.
The governor described the defection as a testament to APC’s growing influence in the state.
“Genuine members of the political class who want Imo to move forward are joining the winning party. The real state owners are coming back to the party. If we don’t solve the problem of our people, history will not forgive us,” the governor added.
Uzodimma praised Okewulonu and Nnaji’s decision to join APC, likening the development to recruiting elite players in sports.
