A former Minister in Imo State, who served in a PDP Federal Government is set to join the All Progressives Congress, APC.
The ex Minister, from Owerri zone, is said to be already in talks with high level officials of the APC led Imo State government.
It was unclear what are the terms or basis for the defection of the former Minister, but this newspaper gathered that, all is set for the cross over from the opposition party to the ruling party.
The former Minister was a major pillar in the shortlived Emeka Ihedioha administration, but may have fallen out with the former governor lately.
A source who is in the know of the move said the defection “is cast on stone and is being spearheaded by a top politician from Owerri Federal Constituency said to be very close to the power brokers in the government and who has the ears of Governor Hope Uzodimma”
The source said “Before the governorship election on November 11, a lot will take place.
“The APC needs to fortify Owerri zone (Imo East) which has been a problem for the party.
“We lost the Senate and all the House of Reps seats to the Labour party and the PDP in the zone in the just concluded elections.
“The zone has practically being in the grip of the opposition since 2015. And we cannot allow it to continue that way.
“The APC conceded a lot to the opposition in the zone lately and we don’t want a repeat barely eight months to the governorship election which would be keenly contested.
“You can see that we have began to change the narrative by winning all the House of Assembly seats in the zone and across the State.
“The entrance of the former Minister from the PDP to the APC is a huge political boost for the APC and the Uzodimma administration, which needs to make a headway in the zone before the November 11, 2023 polls.
“Remember, the zone is the base of major political opponents.And if we must make a headway, we need those in the opposition who are willing to cross over to the ruling party.
” The former Minister is impressed with some of the projects being executed in the zone by the governor.
“A lot has happened already and with the dwindling fortunes of the PDP in Owerri zone, and the wave of the Labour party gradually easing off, the ex Minister’s move is a done deal”the source who spoke on condition of anonymity