By DADA. AYOKHAI
Former Labour Party governorship candidate, Olumide Akpata, has defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) with his supporters, citing the need to “add value” to the party.
Akpata, accompanied by his running mate, Alhaji Yusuf Asama Kadiri (SAN), and members of the Obidience Movement, was received into the ADC by prominent party leaders, including Peter Obi, John Odigie-Oyegun, and Oserhiemen Osunbor.
Speaking after receiving his party card, Akpata urged Nigerians to vote wisely for the right candidate and party, saying a new Nigeria is possible .
According to him, Labour Party is fully represented here today. We don’t have time but our zones are represented here today to show that we have come to add value to the Africa Democratic Congress.
“I just want to say we are grateful. Those of us who have come from Labour Party, we are grateful for the warm reception. We thank our leaders.
“We thank Mr Peter Obi, our leader, who brought us here. We thank Chief Oyegun, our father, who on behalf of the ADC caucus have received us here today. We are grateful to you all”, he said.
In his remarks, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, a national leader of the party posited that the stock of the party is growing daily not only in numbers but also in quality.
“Our stock is growing every day, not just in numbers, but fortunately in quality. You can’t have it better than having a man like Olu Akpata and this man who has lit fire in this country, Mr Peter Obi.
“Having Barrister Olumide Akpata in our party shows the strength of the ADC. When I spoke to our new member, the newest member, Olumide, a few months ago, he wasn’t totally finished with politics.
He was indifferent to politics.
“He wasn’t ready to listen to any future I was going to paint. But over the months, even he has said that this is a nation that needs to be saved. And so, on his own, without my going back, of course influenced by a lot of other factors, today we have registered one of the most illustrious sons of this country and a proud citizen of Edo State”, he added.
Earlier, Kennedy Odion, the Edo State chairman of ADC described Olumide Akpata as one Nigerians that understood how the country should be piloted, what citizens need and move the country from the current economic situation to where it ought to be.
On his part, Mr Peter Obi assured that ADC is totally committed to a new Nigeria despite the political move by those in power to do everything possible to stop the party us.
“Let me assure all of us here, we are committed to a new Nigeria. They might do everything possible to stop us, but I assure you our commitment is total.
“We must build a country that works for everybody. It is not working for everybody today. We must build a country where nobody can be somebody without knowing anybody. It must happen here, and that is what is important.
