Former governor of Abia State, Chief Theodore Orji said he has no intention of leaving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for any other political party.
Reacting to comments by former Abia State House of Assembly Speaker, Stanley Ohajuruka, that he was not welcomed to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Orji, who is now senator representing Abia Senatorial District, said: “I have no intention of jettisoning my relationship with the party, not now, not tomorrow. I love my party.”
A report quoted Orji as saying: “Let me tell you, if I decide to leave my party, the party I will join will be very happy because of my antecedent.
“I have a track record of success as a civil servant and in politics, I have electoral value, unlike those who are spent forces in all ramifications of their lives. So, don’t mind them, they just want me to notice them.”
Orji said people from the South-East, leaving or had left the PDP did so for personal reasons, while noting that Nigerians could serve Nigeria, irrespective of political inclination.
“Those who are leaving the party, citing party problems as a reason, are not sincere, which is most uncharitable, especially when majority of them have benefitted hugely from it,” he said.
Ohajuruka had said members of the APC in Abia State were against people like Orji joining the party.
He, therefore, advised the former governor against coming to APC, as doing so would be a betrayal of former president, Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Mrs. Patience.
Ohajuruka told newsmen that Senator Orji’s governance style, while serving as governor was largely due to his leverage with Jonathan and his wife.
“It will be heartbreaking to the former president and his wife to see Orji abandon a party that stood in for him when he was unleashing terror on Abians and owing salaries of civil servants.
“While more politicians from this state are expected in no distant time to formally join the APC, we are against people, like Senator T. A Orji abandoning his party to also join the moving train. We are not ignorant of the role former president Goodluck Jonathan and his wife, Mrs. Patience played in his governance. It will therefore, be costly and demeaning of him to even nurse such intention.
“If he still has conscience, he (Orji) should remain in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). A party that his likes used to show Abia an example of what a leader should not be,” Ohajuruka said. On APC plans for the next general election in the state, the former speaker said: “Abia State has suffered so much in the hands of those who can’t get a handful of votes without manipulating the results. This time around, such things will no longer be seen nor heard among us.”
We are reinforcing and if you look at the calibre of people that attended today’s caucus meeting. You will agree with me that PDP will soon be sent packing.”