…Pulls Over 5,000 Supporters To Okowa/Otuaro’s Camp
BEVERLY HILLS, February 02, (THEWILL) – All Progressives Congress (APC) on Sunday lost its “big fish”, Chief Fidelis Tilije, who contested alongside APC governorship candidate, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, for the APC Delta guber ticket during the party’s primaries to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Tilije said he dumped the party because he could not afford to remain in a party which allegedly deployed thugs to stone President Goodluck Jonathan recently.
THEWILL learnt that Tilije dumped the party a few days after he accompanied the APC governorship candidate Emerhor to a campaign rally in two council areas in Ukwani.
Sources said the relationship between Tilije and Emerhor have since gone sour due to the outcome of the APC primaries in the state.
Sources said there has been a breakdown of several reconciliatory meetings between the party candidate and Tilije as all efforts have ended in deadlock.
Tilije, who was also a three-time running mate to the Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate, Chief Great Ogboru, before defecting to the APC and now the PDP was said to have dumped the party due to his inability to fully reconcile with the party’s flagbearer.
Speaking at his defection rally held in Obiaruku, headquarters of Ukwani Local Government Council, Tilije, a stunt grassroots politician in the state, anchored his defection on the stoning of Jonathan allegedly by APC supporters.
While condemning the action of the APC supporters who allegedly stoned President Jonathan in some northern states during the PDP presidential campaign rally, Tilije said he could no longer remain in a party that claimed to be ‘progressive’ yet did retrogressive things.
According to Tilje, “One of the driving forces behind my crossing to PDP is that, I can no longer watch somebody who claimed to be “born to rule” to encourage the stoning of a sitting President when he is campaigning.”
“To be progressive does not mean you should sit down somewhere at Jigawa and begin to stone my president.
“Today, I hereby change my face from the opposition and alternative government to the true house of government in Delta State which is the PDP.”
Receiving the defector, on behalf of the state PDP chairman, Chief Edwin Uzor and Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, the state Deputy Governor, Prof. Amos Utuama, (SAN), said the defection by the former APC chieftain was a demonstration that PDP remained the party to beat in the state.
Utuama, who was flanked by the PDP governorship candidate, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, and other top ranking chieftains of the party, said; “Today, from what you told me when I visited you with my contact committee, you have demonstrated that you are a man of integrity. Today, you have joined the main stream, and that is PDP.
“Let this bold step you have taken today translate the entire vote in Ukwani local government area, in Anioma Senatorial district to victory for our President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan and our Governorship Candidate, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, and PDP in general.”
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