Ambassador Obinna Ukor, a significant figure within the Obedient Movement in the Southeast States, has formally exited the Labour Party (LP) to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ebonyi State.
Ukor cited Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru’s notable accomplishments as the driving force behind his decision to align with the APC.
Ukor expressed admiration for the governor's ability to lead beyond partisan boundaries, emphasizing the motivation behind his move.
The defection ceremony unfolded on Friday night at the Party’s state Headquarters in Abakaliki, Ebonyi's capital.
“Today is a faithful day in my political history because I was once a member of the Labour Party, LP, and also the obedient movement. When you talk about the obedient movement, you are talking about us here.
“When you look around Ebonyi State, you will discover that everywhere is peaceful, unlike before. I’m here today to also call on my colleagues in the Diaspora to join hands with our governor to build our state because Ebonyi belongs to us all.” Ukor remarked.
Joining the APC alongside Ukor was Fred Ukor, his cousin, who commended Governor Nwifuru's administration for transformative youth empowerment initiatives benefiting street hawkers and menial workers.
“We were all based abroad, and when we came back to Nigeria, we decided to join the Labor Party, but in the process, we discovered that the Labor Party is not doing well, but we have seen the good works of Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru.
“The youth empowerment and assistance of those hawkers have brought good names to our state. Before now, each time we came back to Nigeria, we saw a lot of Ebonyians in Lagos floating the streets, but since Governor Nwifuru came, things have changed, and that’s why we are here to join hands with him to build our state.” Fred Ukor stated.
Upon receiving the defectors, Chief Stanley Okoro Emegha, the state chairman of the APC, expressed gratitude for their active involvement in the 2023 general elections. He highlighted their contributions to the emergence of a South-East Presidential candidate of Igbo extraction.
“During the days of the Obedient Movement, I was relating to both of you. there is one music that the Igbos have danced very well, but we didn’t let it enter our brains; we managed it.
“As you people were vibrating to give us relevance, we knew that there was no way it could have been actualized; our problem has always been not coming together, but I thank God today for people like our governor, a young and vibrant man who is doing everything to ensure that we get to the right way of doing things.” Chief Stanley Okoro Emegha acknowledged.