15:T70d,

A Presidential Delegation of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has landed in the commercial city of Onitsha, Anambra State, with a view to persuading the immediate past Governor of the state, Mr. Peter Obi, (Okwute Ndigbo) to join the party. A stalwart of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Obi had several times in the past turned down overtures from PDP but Africa’s largest political party would not give up.

The PDP delegation presently meeting with Peter Obi at his 22A Niger Drive, GRA, Onitsha, residence is led by Chief Godswill Akpabio, Chairman of the PDP Governors Forum. A reliable source close to the delegation told News Express that Akpabio is representing President Goodluck Jonathan.

In the powerful delegation are two ministers (Prof. Chinedu nebo of Power and Mr. Osita Chidoka of Aviation), PDP national Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, and PDP national Women Leader, Chief (Mrs.) Kema Chikwe.

News Express had early this afternoon broken the story of the impending visit of a powerful PDP delegation charged with convincing Obi to defect to the party.

Obi, who financed and ensured APGA’s survival throughout his years as Anambra Governor from 2006 to March 17, 2014, has lately faced frustrations from the APGA national leadership under Chief Victor Umeh, which refused to hold a National Convention to ratify his appointment as party leader and Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT). He consequently announced his resignation from the said positions.

A source close to the former governor confided in News Express that Obi may eventually cave in to the pressures but ruled out the possibility iof his defecting today.

•Photo shows Peter Obi.

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