By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

With barely a month to the November 6 governorship election in Anambra State, more politicians in the state have dumped their political umbrellas for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

They defectors include ex Minister of State for Transportation, John Emeka of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, former Speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly, Rita Maduagwu who was of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

Others include, the state PDP compere, Chris Chikwelu, a former APGA governorship aspirant, Chuma Nzeribe, scores of PDP members from Onitsha North, Onitsha South, Ayamelum and Anambra East local government areas of the state as well as some Hausa and Yoruba communities in Onitsha.

They defected on Sunday at a reception ceremony organised for Senator Joy Emodi at her Onitsha residence by the APC leadership in the state.

Receiving the defectors, the state chairman of APC, Chief Basil Ejidike, hailed their decision, saying that belonging to a party at the centre was the right way to go.

“We are not going to leave any stone unturned in our bid to win the Anambra governorship election because Anambra is the South-East political engine.

In his remark, Senator Joy Emodi, called on Igbo people to connect to the centre, noting, “That was why I came out from my political retirement to join APC some weeks back.

“This is the time for the Igbo to join politics at the centre. We should join hands to make Nigeria great and there is no other way to do it than to work with the party at the centre.

“I don’t have any fear that APC will win the November 6 governorship election; and by the grace of God, with the quality of politicians from different parties joining the fray, it will happen.”

Addressing the defectors, the APC governorship candidate, Senator Andy Uba, said the party would win the election free, fair and square.

He added: “We will work hard to win this election .We will run issue-based campaigns to win the election free, fair and square.”

He later led an APC delegation to the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe, where the monarch gave him and his team royal blessings.

The monarch enjoined political parties involved in the governorship election to eschew violence and calumny.