The people of Iruekpen in Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State, who are in-laws of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, have dumped the Peoples Democratic Party for the Action Congress of Nigeria.
Numbering over 5,000, the decampees, who are supporters of former Governor of the state, Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor, vowed to humiliate the PDP godfather in the state for manipulating the party primaries against their son.
Iruekpen is the home town of a former First lady, Mrs. Stella Obasanjo, who died on October 23, 2005, during the tenure of her husband as president.
The decampees, who cut across different age groups, were led by a former Chairman of Esan West Local Government Area and Special Assistant to Osunbor, Engr. Monday Abulu.
Abulu said during the ceremony at Iruekpen that the entire people of Iruekpen cutting across all 11 quarters of the town decided to join forces with Comrade Adams Oshomhole to continue the developmental projects, Osunbor started.
He said: “We were formerly in the PDP where our votes were used to win elections for the party.
“But since they decided to pay us back with shame by manipulating the party primaries against our son, Prof Osunbor, to deprive him from going back to Government House, we have decided to join forces with Comrade Oshiomhole who also has good plans for our people.”
According to him, the people of Iruekpen have said no to the PDP and as long as Oshiomhole promises to continue what Osunbor was doing for the state, they will support him.
Oshiomhole told the mammoth crowd that the days of making promises and not keeping them were over, noting that even while Iruekpen people were still in the PDP, the ACN administration had given them water.
He said: “I have directed that a transformer should be provided for the water project to enable water to continue to run everyday and we will do another borehole.
“The Central Primary School has been built and now that you have joined us, we are now going to operate with double silencer and rebuild the secondary school.
“When he went to visit Prof. Osunbor, he told me, there is a road in Iruekpen which he could not complete and I assured him that I will complete it.
“I will put street lights in Iruekpen and the commissioner has been directed to put poles, because when light comes darkness must go.
“Just as we promised in Benin City, and we kept to our words, we will commence work on the roads, electricity and schools in Iruekpen and Ekpoma.”