By Emmanuel Ogbodo
Chris Okewulonu, former Chief of Staff to ex-Imo State governor Emeka Ihedioha, and Chuma Nnaji, Ihedioha’s former deputy governorship candidate, have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), along with their supporters.
Speaking at the APC secretariat in Owerri, Okewulonu cited dissatisfaction with the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP), deviation from its founding principles.
“My decision to leave the PDP stems from my belief that the party’s core values have been irretrievably lost,” he said, adding that he joined the APC to contribute to the state’s progress.
Okewulonu praised Governor Hope Uzodimma’s leadership, commending his achievements in infrastructure and human capacity development.
Governor Uzodimma welcomed the defectors, describing their move as a significant boost to the APC’s credibility.
“With Okewulonu and Nnaji, we now have the Ronaldos and Lionel Messis of politics in our party,” Uzodimma remarked.
Chuma Nnaji, a former Deputy Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, announced that over 3,000 supporters joined the APC alongside him.
Other prominent defectors included Paschal Obi, a former House of Representatives member, and Tochukwu Okere of Owerri Federal Constituency.
