A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State, Mr. Evans Ikpechukwu Omeje, who left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2017, and later vied for the seat of Nsukka East Constituency in the State House of Assembly in 2019, as APC candidate, has formally returned to the PDP.

Mr. Omeje, who is from Ede-Ukwu Ward, Ede-Oballa in Nsukka Local Government Area of the state, announced his return to the PDP amid jubilation, at the Ede-Ukwu Ward office of the PDP, yesterday, where he addressed the ward executives and other stakeholders of the party.

Describing the PDP as “my mother party”, Mr. Omeje disclosed that he rejoined the PDP because of the peace and good governance initiatives of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, and the quest to join hands with the adherents of the governor’s focused and people-oriented administration to strengthen his leadership trajectory in the state and the party, ahead of 2023 general elections.

He added that his decision to return to the PDP was also borne out of his desire to support and join forces with the leadership of the party in Ede-Ukwu Ward, Ede-Oballa community and Nsukka Local Government Area, to ensure that the governor’s political directions in respect of 2023 general elections, are accomplished to the letter.

The former APC chieftain explained that he left the PDP earlier with hundreds of his teeming supporters because of the way the past leadership of the ward treated them, stressing that “now that the person in question, a Commissioner then, who came and scattered some of us, has left to join a group working against the interest of our governor, the PDP, Nsukka people and Ndi Enugu, I have returned with my followers to help mobilize and strengthen the PDP in this ward, Ede-Oballa community, Nsukka LGA and Enugu State in general”.

Mr. Omeje, who was re-registered as a member of PDP Ede-Ukwu Ward, and re-issued the party membership card, announced that he has collapsed his APC structure to PDP, declaring their unflinching support and loyalty to the state leadership of Gov. Ugwuanyi.

The returnee equally pledged loyalty to the State Chairman of the PDP, Hon. Augustine Nnamani, PDP leader in Enugu North Senatorial Zone, Chief Engr. Vita Abba, the Chairman of Nsukka LGA, Hon. Barr. Walter Ozioko, and the leadership of the party in Nsukka LGA and Ede-Ukwu Ward.

His words: “Let me assure our governor who is the leader of the PDP in the state and South East that all those who left, we will bring them back to the PDP, including others who were aggrieved because of our erring brother who has gone to join a politician from another senatorial zone to challenge our brother and our governor.

“We will bring them back, so that the PDP will be one in Ede-Ukwu Ward and Nsukka LGA. I am saying that all these people have agreed to follow Gburugburu (Ugwuanyi) because he is our leader.

“I thank my people who held the PDP up till today because it is not easy. All the things that went wrong, which the present leadership of the ward is correcting, we will assist in correcting them so that everybody will be one; so that PDP will be one in Ede-Ukwu Ward; so that we will all follow Gburugburu in actualizing his mission”.

Receiving the returnee and some of his followers, the Chairman of Ede-Ukwu Ward, Solomon Asogwa, on behalf of the ward, appreciated God who he said “brought our son, our brother and our father, Mr. Ikpechukwu Omeje back to our great Party, PDP”.

Asogwa said that it was a thing of joy that “this great man returned to the PDP”, adding that he worked hard for the party in the past and was a strong opposition to the PDP when he was in APC “but PDP still conquered them”.

“So now he is back to PDP, PDP will still conquer ahead, ahead.

“In thanking God, we want to also thank His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, because he is a good leader who leads his people well and with the fear of God.

“If not for his leadership style I don’t think this our brother would have come back to PDP. Our brother saw that peace has returned to our ward and he decided to come back.

“We welcome you in a very special way. We are all gathered to embrace you our son because you stated why you left and you saw that peace has returned and you also decided to return and that shows that you are a lover of peace, and as you have come back we thank God on your behalf”, the chairman said.

In their separate goodwill messages, the Youth Leader and Woman Leader of PDP Ede-Ukwu Ward, Jerry Onah and Mrs. Justina E. Ugwu respectively, also delightfully welcomed Hon. Omeje and his supporters back to the PDP fold, stating that it was a good omen for the party at all levels in the state.

They promised to work together with the returnees to ensure that the PDP waxes stronger in the ward, and deliver 100 percent victory, in full solidarity and strict adherence to the decisions of the leader of the party and Governor of Enugu State, Rt. Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.