Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, has promised that he would not disappoint all the lawmakers who defected from their various parties to the party he belongs to, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Uzodinma, in a statement on Wednesday, by his chief press secretary Oguwike Nwachukwu, said he would collaborate with them to make the state work.

The Governor, while receiving eight members of the PDP who defected to the APC assured them of his support and cooperation. “I assure you that I will do my best not to disappoint you, I will not betray the confidence, I will work hard to justify this trust you have exhibited.

Working together, I’m sure that our people will be better for it”, Governor Uzodinma said.

Uzodinma reiterated that political party is a vehicle to get to a particular destination, promising that “APC vehicle will take the state faster to her desired destination.”

He assured the defectors that they will be treated as equals in the House, noting that most of them were founding members of the party who left recently as a result of the crisis that rocked the party in the state before the general elections.”

While commending the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Chiji Collins for placing trust in him and towing the path of progress, the governor expressed happiness that he can now “beat his chest boldly and courageously that Imo is an APC state.

“We will do our best to strengthen the party and take the message of this party to our neighbouring states,” Uzodinma said in the statement.

“By so doing, we would have completely re-integrated South-East into the national polity. As political leaders, we have a responsibility to go out to ensure that what belongs to our people from the national table comes to our people.”

In his speech on behalf of the 19 APC Lawmakers, the Speaker of the Imo State House of Assembly, Dr. Chiji Collins, thanked the governor for his open-mindedness, promising that the ninth Assembly will always complement the efforts of the executive for the overall interest of the state.

Apparently to mobe on and In order to enable him control the House’s leadership”, the lawmakers defected in an assembly that hitherto had only an APC member during the Emeka Ihedioha administration.

The defectors include the speaker, Dr Chiji Collins (Isiala Mbano); Dominic Ezerioha (Oru West); Chigozie Nwaneri (Oru East); Kanayo Onyemaechi (Owerri West); Kennedy Ibe (Obowo); Uche Ogbuagu (Ikeduru); Onyemaechi Njoku (Ihitte Uboma), and Eddy Obinna (Aboh Mbaise).