Tobias Sylvester
Anambra State Deputy Governor, Nkem Okeke has finally revealed why he dumped the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
KanyiDaily had reported how Nkem Okeke paid a visit to President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja after he defected from the APGA to the APC on October 14, 2021.
Speaking with journalists inside his office at Anambra Government House on Friday, October 29, Okeke revealed that he dumped the APGA because of the unjust way he was treated by Governor Willie Obiano.
According to him, he was totally sidelined by the government and from the party to the extent that he didn’t know anything happening in the state which he held the number two position.
Okeke. who visited his office for the first time since his defection to the APC, said he has been under pressure to resign but won’t until the expiration of his tenure with Obiano on March 17, 2022.
Nkem Okeke Reveals How Obiano Treated Him Badly
He said, “Within the period I have been Deputy Governor, I have been very loyal to my boss but I have been unfairly treated, so I decided to leave the party.
“For four years, I drove one Prado jeep. At a stage, I was the only Deputy Governor in the country who drove a Prado. I was loyal to him and represented him in a lot of places.
“The only time I refused to represent him was when Dr Chike Akunyili was killed and when he sent me to Enugu, I told him I needed security and also a bulletproof vehicle, and when they didn’t provide that, I decided not to go.
“I was elected on the same ticket as the governor of Anambra State, and I did not beg him to choose me as his running mate for a second time, it was he who came to me and said I will run with him for a second term and we won.”
The deputy governor disclosed that he was under pressure to resign but would not do so because his defection was in the overall interest of the state.
He said, “I have heard people asking me to resign, but I will never resign. The decision I made to join the APC is in my interest, the interest of my family and also in the best interest of members of my constituency, Njikoka, who I represent.
“I have people who have advised me that the position I hold is not for me alone but for the people of my constituency, so I represent them.
Why I Dumped APGA For APC – Nkem Okeke
Speaking on allegations that he was lured with huge sums of money to join the APC, Okeke said the allegations were false but stated that he gave three conditions to leaders of the party and that two of the conditions had been met.
“I was already thinking of joining the APC after my tenure as deputy governor, but when APC people came to me and I told them so, they said it was better for me to join now, as I could add to their victory. I gave them three conditions and they accepted,” he said.
He listed the three conditions as; defecting before President Buhari, a bulletproof vehicle and a federal appointment after his tenure as deputy governor, which he said was the only pending condition.
Speaking on the chances of APC in next Saturday’s election, Okeke said the chances of the party are high and that its candidate too, has a greater chance of winning the election while describing him as the best option for the state.
He said, “I have sat and talked with Andy Uba. He has listening ears and a good heart. Being a governor is not about having chains of degrees, but one who is ready to assemble a good team and also ready to listen to them, and I know that is where Andy is better than all of them.”
KanyiDaily had earlier reported how Governor Obiano‘s convoy was held hostage by unknown gunmen at APGA campaign rally in Ihiala, Anambra State.
