From: OKEY SAMPSON, Aba
The rank of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia State continues to deplete as former Director of Finance during the 2015 general election in the state, Dr. Chidi O. Ajaegbu, has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking at Umuojima-Ogbu in Osisioma Local Government Area of the state after formalising his membership at the ward level, Ajaegbu told reporters that he decided to leave PDP because the structure of the party in the state did not allow for transparency, credible democracy and was not an all inclusive government.
According to him, “Essentially, I left PDP because my expectations were not met and as far as I am concerned, the aspirations of the Ngwa nation have not been met by the current administration and the reasons being given for the inability of the present government in meeting the expectations of the people are not tenable with me. I believe we could do a lot of things differently.
“The structure of the party in the state doesn’t allow for credible democracy, meaning that it is not all inclusive. If it is not all inclusive, are now delivering our electoral promises to the people of the state? So, we need to find an alternative towards actualizing the aspirations of the average Ngwa man and of course, our brothers up North (people of Old Bende)”.
Ajaegbu who employed his people to join the APC, stressed the need for the opposition to be strengthen in the state so that PDP will be shown the way out in 2019.
“I am going to reinforce the party and the essence of being in this party is to strengthen the opposition. To get APC in government in the state in 2019, we will start now to reflect on what PDP government is doing wrong and how to change them”.
He said it was high time APC made the PDP government understood that all Abians are stakeholders to the government in the state, adding that the mandate that anybody was holding was collectively given by the people and the money coming from the federal government, a common wealth which needed to be managed transparently.
APC chairman in the state, Hon. Donatus Nwankpa, expressed happiness over the decision of the former PDP finance Director to join the party, stating that Ajaegbu and many others defection to the party was an indication that the party would form the next government in the state in 2019.
In the words of Nwakpa, “I feel excited. I feel that my objectives and missions are about being accomplished because our mission is a change in 2019. That APC will be in power in the state come 2019 and to bring the change mantra to Abia”.
Ajaegbu’s defection according to political pundits is a big blow to the PDP in the state considering his role in the success of the PDP in Osisioma and the state at large during the 2015 elections.