Chijioke Edeoga, the candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 governorship election in Enugu, has returned to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
In 2022, Edeoga vied for the PDP’s governorship ticket, but lost to Peter Mbah, the incumbent governor of Enugu.
He left the PDP after losing the primary and joined the LP, where he ran for the state’s governorship election.
When the election results were announced, Edeoga secured 157,552 votes, coming second behind Mbah, who won the poll with 160,895 votes.
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In January, Martin Chukwunweike, the chairman of PDP in Enugu, visited Edeoga and persuaded him to return to his former party.
Announcing his defection on Monday at the PDP state secretariat in Enugu, Edeoga thanked Mbah and Chukwunweike for their support, calling the event “historic and unprecedented”.
“I want to say that I’m happy to be here. I want to start by thanking in a very special way, the governor of Enugu state,” Edeoga said.
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“I appreciate that what has happened today cannot begin to be conceived without his political involvement.
“By this gesture, he has demonstrated a mental state that is worthy of appreciation and that is worthy of being supported or rewarded to the extent that is humanly possible.
“A thing like this has never happened in the annals of Enugu state politics. It might look small, but it will cause a paradigm shift in the way politics is played in Enugu state.
“It is no longer something where you warehouse bitterness. It is no longer winner takes all.
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“All those things that people have been trying to preach in Nigeria like accommodating everybody, are being demonstrated in Enugu state.
“So, I rededicate myself again to the PDP to make sure that the PDP remains a winning machine in Enugu state as it has always been. I am happy to be here. I appreciate all those who made it possible.”
Chukwunweike welcomed Edeoga back to the party, stating that his return is a testament to Mbah’s “audacious leadership”.
“We are excited to have Edeoga back in the PDP fold, and we are confident that more former members who had left the party would soon return,” he added.
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