Francis Okiye, an ex-speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, has rejoined the All Progressives Congress (APC) after leaving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), stating that votes matter in a democracy.
Okiye rejoined the APC on Sunday, May 19, at a big rally in Edo Central Senatorial District, with thousands of his ardent fans joining the party in Esan West, Esan Central, Esan Northeast, Esan Southeast, and Igueben Local Government Areas in Esanland.
The former speaker resigned his membership of the PDP on May 10, 2024, while assuring that he would announce his next political move in the coming days.
He said: “Many politicians from PDP and Labour Party (LP) joined the APC on Sunday in Esanland. Prior to today (yesterday), we met, discussed and asked Governor Godwin Obaseki-led PDP government in Edo State to address the issues of alienation, disillusionment, high-handedness and despotic tendencies.
“Nothing was done about our requests. So, we the ‘aborigines’ in PDP decided to give Obaseki-led PDP a red card.
“My movement to APC will help the party. In a democracy, votes matter. So, my exit from PDP is a minus to the party, whether anybody likes to interpret it otherwise or not. If they are democrats, they will know that at least they have lost my vote, not to talk of many others that moved with me to APC.
“We will begin the house-to-house campaign soon, and let people know why they must leave PDP and join the APC. They must vote APC’s governorship candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo, that is humane, and not business people who are in the state to make profit.”
Okiye also declared that Edo PDP’s standard bearer, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, was no match for Okpebholo, a grassroots popitician, whom he said would emerge victorious on September 21, and succeed Obaseki on November 12 this year.