The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is fast losing steam as the main opposition party in Abia State.
This is as more chieftains of the umbrella party jumped ship en mass within the last few days, while the party secretariat remained under lock for four months.
In the last count, more than 90 top shots of the PDP have quit their former home, with most of them declaring for the All Progressive Congress, APC, and others preparing to enter the ruling Labour Party, LP.
Before the victory of Governor Alex Otti of LP in 2023, PDP had ruled Abia State for 22 years, making the party the most comfortable place for career politicians to thrive.
However, the big loss suffered by the PDP in the 2023 election created a tremor in the foundation of the party, with many of the big wigs requiring a stable ground to operate on.
And the most suitable ground for the politicians seems to be the APC, which is the national ruling party.
Among the chieftains that have left the PDP is the immediate past speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji, who has joined the APC.
The former Speaker, who is popular for his grassroots mobilization, quit the umbrella party in a letter he addressed to the PDP Chairman of Urban Ward 1, Umuahia North LGA.
Apart from the former Speaker, the Deputy Governorship candidate of the PDP in the 2023 election, Chidiebube Uche Jasper also dumped the party.
Other PDP chieftains that have left are Ike Anyatonwu, former local government chairman of Isiala Ngwa South, who was also a former Commissioner, Eugene Eze Job, a chieftain of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Chima Agbaeze, immediate past executive Chairman of Isuikwuato LGA, Chris Nwagboso, Uchenna Jumbo, Uloma Nwogu, Temple Anyatonwu, Chidiebere Uwagwu, Jasper Awah, Emeka Elias, Chidiebere Kanu Eze Okwulehie, Ngozi Oji, Cosmus Ndukwe, Jerry Uzosike to mention but a few.
A month earlier, Professor Anthony Agbazuere, who was the former Chief of Staff to the former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, and Eze Chikanmayo, a former Commissioner and one of the chief strategists for Ikpeazu, had joined the APC, to the chagrin of many pro-Ikpeazu lovers.
But while most of the PDP men are heading to the APC, some others are eying a place in the LP.
Many members of Abia State House of Assembly, who are of PDP extraction, are also warming up to join either the LP or APC, according to a reliable source in the Abia parliament.
An impeccable source from the APC told DAILY POST that the party was positioning itself to take Abia to the centre and to become a major challenger to Governor Alex Otti in 2027.
The source denied the claims that the PDP chieftains were joining the APC to get protection from possible probe.
According to the source, “a coalition between the old APC members and the arrival of the large PDP family will build a formidable APC that can take over Abia State in 2027.”
To give credence to this plan, a former local government chairman of Arochukwu LGA, Chibuike Jonas this week, boasted that his party will take over the Abia State government house in 2027.
According to Jonas, Governor Alex Otti should return to APC in order to take a better place, before it becomes late.
Can APC manage the new large family?
From the 2015 election season till date, APC has never lacked the personalities to win elections in Abia. Unfortunately, lack of unity has remained its biggest setback.
Though the party has managed to win Abia North Senatorial zone and a few legislative positions in the state, it has not been able to win its most desired trophy- Abia state government house.
This situation has always been blamed on alleged sabotage, court cases, alleged imposition of candidates, intimidation of members, alleged embezzlement of funds, among others claims.
The above reasons contributed to its dismal performance in 2023, where it only won one Senate seat, one House of Representatives seat and one state house of Assembly seat.
We are still strong – PDP
Despite the continued mass exit of its members, the PDP in Abia State has maintained that it would not collapse.
This position was made known by the Deputy Chairman of PDP/acting Publicity Secretary, Abraham Amah.
Amah, who is a strongman of PDP, while reacting to the ongoing exodus, asserted that “the PDP is undergoing a self-cleansing exercise where those who contributed to the failure of the party in 2023, are leaving the party voluntarily.”
He pointed out that his party would come out stronger after the mass exit of the PDP members.
According to Amah, while the PDP members were exiting, the umbrella party has also been receiving notices from many members who are interested in joining the party.
He said that such names would become public knowledge soon.
I’m not perturbed- Otti
Meanwhile, while addressing Abia people during his monthly media interaction at the government house, Umuahia, Governor Alex Otti declared that he was not worried by the spate of defections rocking the opposition parties in the state.
He noted that there was nothing to worry about and expressed the confidence that the LP family was very intact, popular and stronger.
