Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu Under Pressure To Join APC

 

Governor Okezie Ikpeazu might be the following Peoples Democratic Party's (PDP) lead representative to abscond to the decision All Progressives Congress (APC), Daily Inde­pendent has accumulated. 

Solid sources said talks among Ikpeazu and the APC had arrived at an ad­vanced stage while a portion of his troopers are now in the gathering as an introduction to his absconding. 

Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, Sen­ate Chief Whip and previous legislative leader of the state, earli­er implied that Ikpeazu had vowed to join the APC like Ebonyi State lead representative, Dave Umahi. 

Soon after Umahi's de­fection, Kogi State lead representative, Yahaya Bello, had likewise pre­dicted that more PDP gover­nors would join the APC. 

"Umahi is with us, others are coming. Different lead representatives are as of now thumping. They are on their way. We will disclose them consistently," Bello had said. 

A month ago, two previous officials in Ikpeazu's cupboard, Obinna Oriaku, previous Finance Commis­sioner, and George Nnanna Kalu, his partner in the Works and Transport Min­istry, unloaded the PDP for the APC where they were gotten by Kalu. 

While filling in as Com­missioner for Finance un­der Ikpeazu, Oriaku was in­vestigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Com­mission (EFCC) for supposed monetary misappropriation. 

While the Abia State chap­ter of the PDP had denied the report that the lead representative has plans to abandon, an asso­ciate of the lead representative who talked in certainty with our reporter on Sunday said that while Ikpeazu actually stayed an ardent individual from the PDP, he was "feeling the squeeze to join the APC attributable to his longing to pull in government presence to Abia State". 

As per him, the lead representative has been confronting genuine reactions from the individuals over the monstrous un­derdevelopment in the state, particularly on the weather beaten state of streets, which has injured business exercises in the state. 

He stated: "Following Uma­hi's deserting to the APC, I can affirm that genuine weight is being mounted on Governor Ikpeazu by ma­jor partners in the APC to join. 

"He has remained reso­lute and has stayed in the PDP. In any case, I won't be astounded in the event that he joins if do­ing so will better the lives of Abians, particularly regarding foundations and eco­nomic improvement." 

Nonetheless, another source, a previous House of Represen­tatives part in the state who is an individual from the PDP, guaranteed that the lead representative might be feeling the squeeze to join the APC attributable to issues he has with the EFCC. 

"It's anything but an amazement to me in the event that he joins. Umahi of Ebonyi likewise denied yet ultimately what was the deal? 

"Actually join­ing APC is political self destruction in the South-East. All the sec­ond term lead representatives running to the APC is for self-preser­vation. 

"They are attempting to try not to be attempted by the EFCC. For Governor Ikpeazu, I wish him best of luck in the event that he goes along with them," he said. 

Tending to newsmen re­cently, the lead representative lament­ed that there was a conspir­acy against the state, adding that every one of his endeavors to complete formative works were being baffled by the Federal Government. 

"Aba/Port-Harcourt Road is a 34-kilometer street. For what reason should it require 30 years to do it?" he had asked, adding, "I needed to fix a portion of these streets however they advised me on the off chance that I don't get papers, they won't discount me, yet I can't stand by." 

When reached, Kola Ologbondiyan, the Nation­al Publicity Secretary of the PDP, said the gathering was joined together and that none of the lead representatives were joining the APC. 

"Our gathering is unblemished and joined together. None of our gover­nors are joining the APC. 

"There is no bit of legitimacy in the gossip that Governor Ikpeazu is headed to the APC. He stays a commit­ted individual from our gathering," he said.