2024 Gubernatorial Race: Former Edo Assembly Speaker and Others Rejoin APC
In a significant political shift, Hon. Francis Okiye, former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, along with former governorship aspirant Hon. Felix Akhabue and ex-Deputy Chief of Staff Kingsley Ehigiamusoe, have rejoined the All Progressives Congress (APC). This development occurred at a rally in Uromi, the headquarters of Esan North East local government area, where they were welcomed by thousands of supporters.
The trio had recently resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), citing marginalization by Governor Godwin Obaseki’s administration.
They were officially received into the APC by the Acting State Chairman, Emperor Jarret, alongside other party leaders including the APC gubernatorial candidate, Sen. Monday Okpebholo, and his running mate, Hon. Dennis Idahosa.
Expressing his satisfaction, Akhabue remarked on his return to the APC as a homecoming, marking the start of a movement aimed at securing victory for the APC in the upcoming 2024 governorship elections, particularly in Edo Central.
Okiye explained their decision, highlighting the lack of response from the PDP to their concerns about exclusion and autocratic governance under Obaseki. “We, the original PDP members, have effectively given the Obaseki-led PDP a red card,” he stated.
He emphasized that his defection to the APC would significantly impact the PDP. “In a democracy, every vote counts. My departure from the PDP, along with those who joined me, represents a considerable loss to the party. Today, the PDP has lost at least 500 votes, and these individuals will further persuade others to support the APC.”
Okiye announced plans for a house-to-house campaign to encourage more people to leave the PDP and vote for a more compassionate candidate, contrasting this with what he described as the profit-driven motives of the current administration.
