Tony John, Port Harcourt

Thousands of members of the Non-Indigenes Without Border in the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the weekend, defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State.

The decampees, led by the former chairman of the Non-indigenes of the APC in the state, Uchenna Okokoba, disclosed that the economic downturn and the hardship caused by the present leadership of the APC at the federal level influenced their decision to abandon the party.

Receiving the former APC members at the Government Secondary School, Nkpolu Oroworukwu, in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area, Governor Nyesom Wike said Nigerians have become aware that the APC at the national has nothing to offer the people.

Wike, who was represented by the PDP state chairman, Felix Obuah, said that contrary to earlier insinuations by the opposition party, the PDP leadership at the state has favoured non-indigenes than any other party.

Obuah ssaid: “I am here to receive Non-indigene Without Border from APC to PDP. To tell you how important this occasion meant to our Governor and leader of PDP in this state, Chief Nyesom Wike, he was supposed to be here by himself to receive you. But, because of order engagement going on today in the State, he mandated me that I must be here to receive you.

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“You have made the right choice to defect from APC to PDP. I want to use this forum to congratulate and commend your leader Emeka Onowu for his steadfastness all these years. He came when Nyesom Wike was not yet a governor. Wike is a God-sent messiah to good people of Rivers. He is a gift to humanity. He is a gift to non-indigenes. He is a gift to less-privileged . He has performed beyond expectation. So, you did not do mistake by jettison the lie lie party, APC.”

Also speaking, at the event, the Publicity Secretary of PDP, Samuel Nwanosike, said the mass defection of former members of the APC non-indigenes to the PDP, has put an end to the existence of the APC in the state.

“Today is a remarkable day in the politics of Rivers State and politics of Nigeria. You heard clearly from the leaders of non-indigenes APC members who have just defected to PDP. How can a man be living in deceit for a long time when he knows the truth. How can a man keep a broom that cannot sweep away poverty, unemployment, holding a broom that cannot provide security for the life and properties of Nigerians?

“With their movement into the Peoples Democratic Party, it is obvious and clear that come 2019, PDP is going to produce the needed leadership that will transform this Nigerian nation. PDP is going to produce the needed leadership that is going to send APC party out of Aso Rock and produce a president that is going to manage our resources.

“At the last count, the defectors are over 4,500. You saw them coming out in their crowd. In fact, the entire executive of APC non- indigenes ranking from their State Chairman, Chief Okokoba to their Deputy Chairman, Secretary , the Assistant woman leader, and other members. All the three coordinators in the State are here. They came out in their own volition and they said they are tired and have seen the pains in the eyes of Nigerians. They have brought this story of restructuring to deceive Nigerians again”, Nwanosike said.