Dokpesi denies dumping PDP for APC

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party in Edo State, Chief Raymond Dokpesi, on Tuesday dismissed reports that he left the opposition party to join the ruling All Progressives Congress, saying that nothing impressed or attracted him to the ruling party.

There were reports that Dokpesi, who is the founding chairman of DAAR Communication, left the PDP with Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, who was the party’s governorship candidate in 2016 election.

But Dokpesi, speaking with journalists after a meeting with members of the PDP at his country home in Agenebode, said there was no iota of truth in the report.

He said, “I came down to reassure the people that there was no iota of truth in the report that I have left and abandoned the PDP. I am still fully in the PDP.

“There is nothing that impresses or attracts me to the ruling APC. I don’t think the membership of a party is based on what I want, but on certain well-grounded principles and views about how society should be governed, how society should be managed and how to bring about development and progress to the people generally.

“I have not seen those values in the APC. I have no reason to go to the APC for now.

“Within the last two days, we have been holding discussions with members of the PDP in Estako East Local Government, starting with the ward executives and local government executives so that they will be able to hear by themselves.”