Nkem Okeke, Anambra D/Gov Joins APC

Barely three weeks to the November 6 Anambra Gubernatorial elections, the Deputy Governor of Anambra State, Dr Nkem Okeke, yesterday, defected to the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC).

The defection of Okeke to the APC, which political analysts describe as a major blow to the ruling All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), has been in the rumour mills in the past few months.

A public affairs analyst who is very conversant with the politics of Anambra state told TrueVision that the defection has been in the rumour mills for a long time and did not come as a surprise to close watchers of the politics of the south eastern state.

The analyst who does not want his name in print said that Okeke’s defection to the APC might have been the last option left for him as “he has not been finding things easy with those who hold the levers of power in the state”.

The source however noted that the action of the Deputy Governor was not out of place as he had resigned as commissioner during the twilight of the administration of the former governor of the state, Mr Peter Obi.

In what appears to be the tradition of the ruling APC after any major defection to the party, Okeke was received into the party by President Muhammadu Buhari, during a meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Okeke was led to the President by the APC Caretaker Committee Chairman and Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma.

Uzodinma expressed strong confidence that there will be more defections to the ruling party before the November 6 governorship election in the state.

The governor, however, faulted that claims by the Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano, that members of the State House of Assembly who defected from APGA were financially induced to join the ruling party.

Speculations were rife Wednesday that the Deputy Governor who has now pitched his political tent with the APC has been promised a chief executive position in a top federal government agency.