Former PDP guber aspirant defects to YPP, picks guber ticket

Sunday Opoke

A former governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ebonyi State, Dr Sunday Opoke, has formally defected to Young Progressives Party (YPP) with over 2,000 supporters.

Opoke, who now emerged as the gubernatorial candidate of YPP, said he has a seven point-agenda for the state if he wins the 2023 governorship election.

He disclosed this at his campaign office on the Abakaliki/Enugu expressway while briefing his party faithful and supporters.

Opoke, who alleged that the state civil service has collapsed in employment and engagement of service, promised to reform the civil service and observe the principle of engagement.

“There is something very ugly in this state that from 1996 till date, there has not been genuine employment for the youths,” he said.

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He alleged that “When Sam Egwu was there as a governor, he only employed a few people very close to him and put them in a few places. When he was going out, he now did massive employment. Elechi came and removed them.

“When Elechi was going out, he did massive employment and left.

“This one now, Umahi, when he will be leaving office, he will also do massive employment. It means, they have no plans for the youths. That employment is wicked employment because it won’t be up to two years and the next governor will come and remove it.

“So, from the day the state was created, there were no plans for the youth. There are no plans for graduates, or for anybody. All they do is employ their family members to occupy leadership positions. The narrative must change. 

“As we are engaging you, we are providing you with the enabling environment to be productive

“In Ebonyi State, the greatest assets are the civil servants because every civil servant has at least a minimum of 10 dependent relatives.”