A former governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the November, 2012 governorship election in Edo State, Maj. Gen. Charles Airhiavbere (retd.), has defected to the All Progressives Congress.
Airhiavbere, whose defection came eight days after the 2015 presidential election, where the standard bearer of the APC, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari(retd.), was declared winner, was the National Coordinator of the Goodluck to Goodluck 2015 support group.
The former PDP chief was received by the State Chairman of the APC, Mr. Anselm Ojezua, and the Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, on Sunday, at an event held at Garrick Memorial College, in Benin, the state capital.
Airhiavbere explained that his decision to dump the PDP was based on the need for the state to “continue to enjoy the benefits” of the APC at the federal level.
While pledging his support for the state government, he expressed the hope that the APC would deliver on all its campaign promises to Edo, which, he said, was yearning for federal projects such as the Gelegele Seaport and the rapid completion of the dualisation of the Lokoja-Benin road.
He said, “I have decided to join the team of change that has come to the nation in the last election of the March 28, 2015, so that Edo State will continue to enjoy the benefits of the party at the centre.
“Any politician, who means well for this state will ground their arms of hate and join the change train of the APC government, ably led His Excellently, Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole.”
Welcoming the defector and his supporters, Ojezua described Airhiavbere’s move as a setback, which would be difficult for the opposition party to overcome prior to Saturday’s House of Assembly’s election in the state.
While noting that the APC was open to more defectors, the state chairman assured the people that the party’s policy would apply to all without discrimination.
