Anambra State Deputy Governor, Dr Nkem Okeke, has said he will not resign from office despite his recent defection to the All Progressives Congress from the All Progressives Grand Alliance.
Okeke also accused the governor of treating him unfairly.
The deputy governor, who visited his office at Government House, Awka, for the first time after his defection, told journalists that he would continue to hold office until March 17, 2022 when his joint ticket with Governor Willie Obiano, would expire.
He disclosed that he was under pressure to resign but would not do so because his defection was in the overall interest of the state.
“Some people have asked me to resign, but I will not resign. The decision I made to join the APC is in my interest, the interest of my family and also in the best interest of members of the constituency I represent.
“I was elected on the same ticket with the governor of Anambra State, and I did not beg him to choose me as his running mate for a second time. He came to me and said I would run with him for a second term and we won. I’m the only deputy governor in the state that did a second term.”
Okeke said he joined APC because he saw a brighter future for himself, the state and the Igbo in a political party that belonged to the centre.
He further noted that he decided to leave APGA because he was sidelined from the state affairs to extent that he didn’t know of anything happening in a government where he held the number two position.
While thanking the governor for giving him some exposure politically, Okeke said, “Within the period I have been deputy governor, I have been very loyal to my boss, but I was unfairly treated, so I decided to leave the party.
“For four years, I drove one Prado Jeep. At a stage, I was the only deputy governor in the country who drove a Prado. I was loyal to him and represented him in a lot of places. The only time I refused to represent him was when Dr Chike Akunyili was killed. And when he sent me to Enugu, I told him I needed security and also a bullet proof , and when he didn’t provide that, I decided not to go.”
Speaking on allegations that he was lured with a huge sum of money to join the APC, Okeke said, “I was already thinking of joining the APC after my tenure as deputy governor, but when APC members came to me and I told them so, they said it was better for me to join now, as I could add value . I gave them three conditions and they accepted."