Imo PDP Chieftains In Tsunamic Defection To APC

…………Good riddance to bad rubbish- PDP

Apart from the Supreme Court Judgement of last January 14th that ruled against Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Governorship seat of IMO State and enthroned Senator Hope Uzodimma of All Progressives Congress (APC) as the authentic Governor of the State, last Thursday PDP in the State received another big shocker as the party again lost so many of it’s big wigs, chieftains and tacticians to the State ruling APC in what some pundits described as “Political TSUNAMIC DEFECTION” even as the State leadership of PDP says it is a “Good Riddance To Bad Rubbish”.

The decampees led by Barr. Charles Ezekwem, immediate past State Chairman of PDP as facilitated by Dr. Fabian Ihekwume, the State Commissioner for International Affairs were over 500 members of PDP and the Arrowheads among the decampees include  Barr. Leo Degreat Awazia, immediate past National Ex-Officio member representing IMO State in PDP NEC, Mr. Damian Opara, the former State Publicity Secretary, Barr Jerry Egemba, the State Legal Adviser, Comrade Williams Ahanonu (Aburi), Former State Youth Leader, Mr. Harry Ihebinike, former State Assistant Publicity Secretary and Mr Maximus Okedu, former Assistant State Financial Secretary

Others include Dr. Uche Anyanwu, immediate past Deputy State Organizing Secretary and the party’s State Diaspora Director General, Chief Silas Onyeiwu, Okigwe PDP Zonal Chairman and immediate past TC Chairman of Onuimo LGA, Arch Paul Uche, Chairman PDP Okigwe and the immediate past Transition Committee (TC) Chairman Okigwe, Hon Fred Opiah, Oguta immediate past chairman of PDP and Dr Bede Nzenwa among litany of the party’s top notchers that carpet crossed to APC.

Surprising too was participation of some people Ihedioha offered political appointments during his four months ILL fated administration joining APC and castigating the very man that once brought food on their tables. People like Mr Francis Eze Ugochukwu (Ochi War) who was Special Assistant on Public Enlightenment, Alhaji Yaya Idris, a Special Assistant to the Governor on Northern Affairs and Hon. Greg Owuamanam.

To justified the importance the State attached to the occasion, the Speaker of the State Assembly Rt Hon Chiji Collins, his Deputy Rt Hon Amara Iwuanyanwu and the Majority Leader Hon Uche Ogbuagu with 18 other APC members of the House stormed the party Secretariat along Okigwe Road which was the venue of the defection galore adoring all through sparkling white clothes as they sang  requiem songs for IMO PDP.

The highlight of the occasion was an observation of a minute silence for Imo PDP which they said that it’s a mark of the party’s death in the State and was officiated by Dr Ihekwueme (OMU) while he prayed God for the soul of the party to rest in perfect peace with thunderous Amen !

In his speech, Barr. Charles Ezekwem, the immediate past State Chairman of PDP and leader of the decampees said that their mission is to officially tell Imo people and Nigerians that they have dumped the umbrella and embraced the broom that stands for cleansing and good governance.

Ezekwem extolled the virtues of Governor Hope Uzodimma unlike Rt Hon Emeka Ihedioha whom he said treated them like strangers the moment INEC ironically declared him winner despite the sacrifices they made to ensure his election victory.

He expressed gratitude to God for using the Supreme Court to truncate what he described as  status quo pointing out that they are joining APC to add values in governance and the political party as well.

Accordingly to him ” Governor Uzodimma is a firm believer in grassroots followership unlike Ihedioha that brings strange bed fellows when elected. It’s a gospel truth and an aberration that 70% of Ihedioha’s political appointees does not know the party officials.
Governor Uzodimma is a man who believes in shared Prosperity mantra and he is practicing people’s oriented governance, no more dictatorship in the governance of Imo State” he noted.

One other significant issue was the handing of the party’s flag and broom to Barr. Ezekwem as symbol of acceptance of the decampees to the party by Barr. Marcellinus Nlemigbo, the State chairman of APC.

Nlemigbo while thanking them for joining APC noted that the decision was based on their individual conviction describing them as seasoned politicians who will add value to the party’s visions and commitments.

Swiftly, the State PDP led by Chief Martin Ejiogu in a six paged press statement titled -Good Riddance To Bad Rubbish said that they considered the ostensible resignation of some former officers of their great party as “Banal, inconsequential and worthless in that strength advising the political party (APC) they have defected to, to be wary of these elements who are manifestly gold-diggers, bedbugs and buccaneers who evidently do not have any iota of value to add to any organisation” they alleged..

Ejiogu also said that their exit from PDP is indeed a reprieve, relief and positive development for the political party alleging that for long they have remained huge liabilities to the party.

Accordingly to him “They constituted a band of Senator Samuel Anyanwu loyalists who worked vehemently against the interest of the party during the 2019 general elections. Besides, they had in principle left the party a long time ago, what played out earlier today (Thursday) was a mere drama, a dummy from a script that had been written months before now ” he alleged.

The State party Chairman further pointed out that ” As democracy continues to deepen and endure in Nigeria, the political parties have an onerous responsibility to ensure that a climate of decency, integrity, assiduousness and propriety thrives on the polity. Fascinating, these trademarks have remained the watch dog of PDP since its inception in 1998 and will continue to shape the party moving forward.

The political actors themselves  he observed are expected to play politics according to the rules, in the most decorous,civilized and upright fashion underpinned by good manners. But unfortunately some politicians such as these defectors have deliberately and innately elated to slide far short of the basic standards by their crave for deceitful and treacherous politics” he noted

He further described as a clear misrepresentation, obsessed fallacy and the height of mischief the claims by the decampees that they defected as officers of PDP saying that by the Constitution of the party their four years tenure expired over two months ago as the party concluded her wards and local government congresses since February,2020.

Ejiogu regretted that it was the Covid-19 pandemic that delayed there conclusion of the state Congresses but however, with their tenure expiration last February, the State Officers by implications have legally and constitutionally lost their seats. To him therefore, it amounts to day light robbery tinged with ignorance to claim otherwise.

The State party Chairman also observed that their so called defection to APC was essentially orchestrated by selfish motive because of the PDP zoning arrangement which did not favour them. Moreso the party’s ” inclination to rejuvenate and fortify warranting it’s commitment to do away with incompetent and insignificant party officials perceived as Deadwoods which most of the defectors personified” he concluded.