The Peoples Democratic Party, Edo State Chapter, lost hundreds of its members to the All Progressives Congress in Egor Local Government on Thursday during a rally held by the candidate of the APC for the Sept. 19 Governorship election, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.

The rally, held in compliance with INEC’s regulations at Uselu, the headquarters of the Egor Local Government, featured prominent APC leaders and other PDP bigwigs who openly renounced their membership of the PDP, criticizing the alleged imposition of the ‘non-performing’ incumbent Governor Godwin Obaseki after hush payments to ‘Abuja tax collectors’ who they claim have continued to strangulate the already weakened party.

The former PDP bigwigs led hundreds of their followers into the fold of the APC and pledged unalloyed loyalty to the election of the APC on the 19th of September.

Speaking at the rally, Pastor Ize-Iyamu praised the courage and patriotism of the defecting members for heeding their conscience and placing the needs of the State over partisan leanings.

While criticizing Governor Godwin Obaseki for failing to fulfill his 200,000 jobs promise to the people of the State and for presenting himself for another term without an agenda or documented manifesto plans, Ize-Iyamu urged other PDP members to dump the party for the APC and join his mission to rebuild the State.

He said: “I came with my SIMPLE Agenda but Obaseki wants to be Governor and doesn’t have any agenda, even after 4 years, he can’t tell Edo people what he wants to do. I have an agenda which has been in the public domain for scrutiny, the incumbent has presented nothing.”

“They promised Edo people that 200,000 jobs will be created every year but later they said the 200,000 is for the entire 4 years, interestingly, out of the audio 200,000 jobs how many Egor people have benefited?”.

“Talk of education, they have failed to employ teachers. Sadly, if you visit our schools, mostly in rural areas, you will discover that it is just 1 teacher to a school. They promised to establish health centers across the state, four years later there is nothing on the ground, is that a government we intend to support? God Forbid!”

Ize-Iyamu asked the people of Egor to take his SIMPLE agenda message to their friends and families and enlist them in what he described as a “joint task” to end the rot in Edo State and replace a badly derailed and incompetent administration with an intentional government that will rebuild the economy of the State and provide adequate welfare for all.

Mr. Daniel Ighile, the Egor LGA APC Chairman, expressed marvel at the turnout of the people and the number of defectors, adding that it is an indication that the APC remains formidable in Egor and will win the Sept. 19 election.

The immediate-past Commissioner for Information who resigned his position in the Obaseki-led government, Mr. Paul Ohonbamu, also reminded the people of Ize-Iyamu’s previous achievements and appealed to them to sustain the same level of energy and enthusiasm on election day to ensure his victory.

Other APC leaders present at the event included Hon. Crosby Eribo, the member-elect of Egor Constituency at the Edo Assembly.

He bemoaned Obaseki’s alleged undemocratic tendencies and called on the Governor to secure the release of his remanded Commissioner for Arts, Culture, and Tourism, Osazee Ero-Osemwingie, who was arrested in France in possession of an unexplained 2 million dollars allegedly sourced illegally from the Edo State treasury for dispatch into foreign accounts.