By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has said that the Deputy Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Nkem Okeke, dumped the party out of bitterness.

It explained that Okeke, who decamped to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday, has been bitter over the party’s choice of governorship candidate, Prof Charles Soludo, over him.

In a press release by APGA’s National Publicity Secretary, Bar Tax Okechukwu, described Okeke’s defection as of no consequence, saying that it was long expected since he had been grudging everybody over his inability to secure the governorship ticket of the party for the November election.

The statement partly reads: “The deputy governor had thought that the governor and the party were going to hand over the governorship ticket of the party in the last primary to him on a platter. When that didn’t happen, he started behaving abnormally, even to the point of insubordination and dereliction of duties.

“The exit of the deputy governor, without formal notification to the party or his principal, is uncalled for, ill-timed and ill-advised as the governor had always treated him with respect, love and consideration.

“Let nobody be deceived, APC has no root anywhere in Anambra State and that is why all that they do is going about luring political deadwood with money and other lucres.”

APGA frowned at the desperation being exhibited by the opposition APC in the build-up to the November 6 Anambra State Governorship Election.

It urged members of the party to remain united to ensure that APGA won the election with wider margins.

The party also called on Governor Willie Obiano not to be distracted by the defection of his deputy, noting that it is “a ploy to create a semblance of disunity in his government.”

While urging Obiano to remain resolute in delivering the dividends of democracy to his people, it added: “No matter the designs of the opposition and other subterranean forces, APGA is poised to win the forthcoming election and continue with the massive infrastructural development going on in the state.”