Anambra chapter of PDP, appears set for more trouble as a faction led by its governorship candidate in 2013, Tony Nwoye, announces intention to join APC, Assistant Editor, North, CHUKS EHIRIM, writes.
Efforts by the Uche Secondus leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to rejuvenate the former ruling party, received a major setback as a major bloc of the party in Anambra State sets to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Chieftains of the faction, led by the party’s candidate in the 2013 governorship election in the state, Tony Nwoye, said that their group had concluded plans to defect to the ruling APC, when they stormed the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja, last Tuesday.
In a meeting with the APC National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun and other members of the party’s National Executive, Nwoye openly expressed the interest of his colleagues to join the APC.
. He even stressed that their resolve to defect to the APC had received endorsement from the former Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme and other key leaders of the PDP in Anambra state.
Justifying why they were dumping the PDP, he noted; “We are leaving the PDP on principle. What they are doing in PDP is not acceptable to us. We have taken time to read the APC manifestoes and constitution. What attracted us to the party is party discipline and internal democracy.
“That was why we decided to consult widely and we met with all our leaders, all our financiers from Chief Arthur Eze to Emeka Offor, to Dr. Alex Ekwueme who formed the party. These our leaders agreed with us to move because we feel that we cannot move without their blessing.”
Nwoye who promised to close ranks with APC chieftains in the state and south east, including Senator Chris Ngige, Osita Izunaso assured that they would work assiduously to ensure Anambra state joins the ranks of APC states in the country.
He also enjoined the Odigie -Oyegun led executive members to grace what he termed “the mother of all rallies” before the end of the year whereby tens of hundreds of PDP supporters, alongside All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) members would join the APC in drove.
Oyegun expressed happiness over the decision by the PDP chieftains in Anambra state to join the APC adding that it would be in the interest of the nation if Nigerians of South East extraction, would align with President Muhammadu Buhari’s resolve to address the multifaceted problems bedeviling the country.
According to him: “You are most welcome. I want to emphasis one thing. We are glad you are coming but we are not attempting to build a one-party nation. You are the engine room that make things happen. We got to the brink and the people saw the light and voted massively for the APC”.
Blaming bad governance over the years for the agitation of the state of Biafra, he said:” The manifestation of the so-called Biafra thing, the resurgence of cultism and criminality all over the nation, shows you how close we were to the brink and the enormity of the job to be done by all to bring this nation back. Whether you are Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa or Bini, there is beauty in the size of Nigeria.
“We will be one of the front ranking nations on the face of this earth given our resources and the kind of aggressive positively directed character of our people. Think of the resources we have that we have frittered away without preparing for a day, the condition that we are facing now. We had government after government when we had excess accounts. But we had government that was not thinking of turning it into a fortune for the country that would sustain us.
“At the stage we are today we have to start reinventing ourselves. We are thinking about agriculture that no longer really exists, we are now thinking of mining that no longer exists because finally we are at rock bottom of oil money that no longer really exists. Before now our government took leave of the need to make the Nigeria nation great. These are the challenges that face us today”
The claim by Nwoye and his group that they consulted widely, was corroborated by the chairman of the faction in the state, Victor Ezenwa, who accompanied them to the APC National Secretariat. He was, however, not part of the meeting with the party leaders. He told journalists that the group actually sought the endorsement of all those whose names were mentioned, before they embarked on the trip to Abuja.
There are however, fears that the move by the group may not go down well with Ngige, the current minister of labour and employment who is seen as the leader of the party in Anambra State. This is because Nwoye is seen by many as his major political opponent. The fact that Ngige was not present at the meeting, also left many in doubt as to the true picture of events in the state.
There are fears that if the move by the defectors succeeds, it will deal a fatal blow to efforts by PDP leadership to reposition the party ahead 2019 general elections. Part of the activities of the party in this instance is the timely resolution of outstanding disputes among its members. It also seeks to correct all ill feelings caused by selection of candidates in previous elections based on sentiments.
The party is also considering basing its power sharing formula on merit, this time around. The move, it is hoped, will ensure acceptable formula in picking the party’s flag bearers when the elections inch in.
To this end, the National Working Committee of the party has examined the low performance in the last general election and agreed on some core issues that would move the party forward. Part of the exercise is in lending its voice by asking the North East Zone to complete its term (tenure) as the National Chairman of the party till March 2016 when the National Convention will come up.
Already, a committee led by the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, has zoned the party’s Presidential ticket to the North. By that, technically, the National Chairman of the party will come from the southern part of the country.
If this eventually takes place, the estimation is that gradually, zoning of other positions will follow in a manner that will give way for rebuilding the party.
But with the uncertain steps by the party’s chieftains in Anambra, the excitement generated by the perceived successful outing by the Ekweremadu committee, may be suffering a terrible blow too soon.
