By Celephina Onovo
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) members and members of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) at the House of Representatives, on Tuesday, staged a walkout during a plenary which was held under rowdy atmosphere.
The reason was the defection of the member representing Ahiazu/Ezinihitte federal constituency, Raphael Nnana Igbokwe elected on the platform of the PDP to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Igbokwe had announced, through a letter to Speaker Yakubu Dogara that he was leaving the umbrella party for the APC.
Coincidentally, Imo State governor, the brain behind Igbokwe’s defection, was also at the plenary to witness his defection.
Okorocha and Igbokwe have been holding meetings on the planned defection of the latter whose constituents believe has performed abysmally.
Indications that Igbokwe will leave the PDP emerged since last year when he started featuring in activities involving Okorocha’s government, a situation his constituents thought he was more or less an outsider in the PDP family.
It is believed strongly that Igbokwe’s not too good relations with the former deputy Speaker, Emeka Ihedioha paved the way for the lawmaker to say good bye to the party that gave him political renown right from when he went to represent Ahiazu Local Government in the Imo State House of Assembly until he became a two-term member representating Ahiazu/Ezinihitte at the federal house.
Sources said Okorocha wants to use Igbokwe to checkmate the governorship ambition of Ihedioha in 2019n and other likely Mbaise sons and daughters who would be keen on running for the number position of the state.
He wants to pair Igbokwe with his son in-law, Uche Nwosu whom he is working hard to install as his successor as his running mate.
In an interview which Igbokwe granted a national newspaper recently, he praised Okorocha and indicated that he has sympathy for the APC, citing a catalogue of ill-treatment the PDP has meted to him of late.
Recently, Hassan Anthony, who represents Ado/Ogbadibo/Okpokwu constituency in Benue state, dumped the PDP for the ruling party.