National Chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, yesterday led a team from the party’s headquarters in Abuja and neighbouring states to Umuahia to lobby Governor Theodore Orji of Abia State to join the party.
This is the second time in three weeks, the Abia State governor, is being faced with a tough decision of changing his political party.
Orji had joined the All Progressives Grand Alliance on July 2, 2010 immediately he dumped his former party, the Progressive Peoples Alliance on whose platform he was elected governor.
But Nwodo, who stormed Umuahia in company with Ebonyi State governor, Martin Elechi; Enugu deputy governor, Sunday Onyebuchi; National Vice Chairman of PDP, Olisa Metu and a host of National Assembly members, ministers as well as the executives of Abia PDP, said Orji was considered as a “first eleven” material that must join the PDP team.
“We are here to bring Ochendo into PDP. We’re here on a crusade. We’re here to beg you to come on board a new mission in Nigerian politics,” he said.
The PDP national chairman spoke passionately on the need for the South-east geopolitical zone to unit under the big umbrella of PDP hence he has set out on a journey to bring together all the quality materials available in the zone to drive the new ideology of PDP hinged on good governance and authentic democracy.
According to him, “if we put our first eleven out, they will create a country where everybody will be happy because Nigeria has every ingredient to cook good food and if the right people are not assembled to do the cooking, it would not be palatable.”
Nwodo said Orji had given the new PDP leadership the “olive branch” when he came to Enugu along with Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State, even though they are not PDP members, to join in welcoming him after emerging PDP national chairman.
He said the fact that “a galaxy of PDP leaders in the south-east have come looking” for the Abia chief executive meant that he possessed what it takes to be in the PDP.
Orji, who was visibly elated to have become the most beautiful bride, said: “The PDP national chairman has come to wipe my face today after the PPA leadership soiled my reputation and forced me to quit the party.
“He (Nwodo) has come here to tell the world that I am a sellable material; that I possess what it takes to win election, because we’re solidly on ground.”
The governor likened himself to a very beautiful bride being wooed relentlessly by men, adding that for the second time in his political career he was facing a tough task of making a decision, noting that the first time he faced such a situation was his break up with PPA.
He reminded his political suitors that “a lot of things are involved” that would determine his decision this time around, namely his own integrity and the opinion of Abia people that gave him his mandate.
“This is not a decision I can take alone. This is a decision that needs the widest consultation,” he said, adding that he already has APGA ticket.
But even at that, the confidence exuded by Nwodo and other PDP members were strong indications that Orji’s movement to the party has been signed, sealed and delivered.
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