A former minister of information, and governor of the old Anambra State, Chief Jim Nwobodo, has defected to the All Progressive Congress.
Nwobodo, a former Senator and presidential aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, attended an APC meeting, reportedly convened by Foreign Affairs minister, Dr. Jeffrey Onyeama, in Enugu.
He declared his membership of the party at the meeting, to the surprise of most of the APC members present at the event.
A former PDP senator from Enugu State, Chief Fidelis Okoro, also defected to the APC at the meeting. Okoro was in the Senate between 1999 and 2007.
There were indications that the former PDP bigwigs’ defection did not go down well with some APC members, who openly voiced their dissatisfaction with the development at the meeting.
The party faithful could not hide their surprise, and shock, when Nwobodo arrived at the venue of the meeting in company with Okoro.
Some APC members, who apparently understood the duo’s mission at the meeting, voiced their disapproval.
Chairman of the party in Enugu State, Dr. Ben Nwoye, who appeared to have prior knowledge of the defection, got the aggrieved party members to calm down before Nwobodo made his declaration speech.
In his declaration speech, Nwobodo had harsh words for his old party, PDP.
Nwobodo condemned the PDP, and blamed the party’s leadership for allowing five governors to leave for the APC in the build up to the 2015 general elections.
According to him, he is joining the APC to move the people of Enugu State into the mainstream at the federal level.
Drawing from his experience as a governor, he said it was not good being in the opposition, adding that members of the APC in Enugu State should not be discouraged by the electoral losses they suffered in the state in the past.
“You must always lose, what matters is the ability to rise again. I must condemn our former party, PDP – I know we had problems.
“I told our former chairman, how come did we allow five governors to leave the party? I am not looking for a job, I am talking because I want peace.
“I want our people to be part of the Federal Government at the centre. I had a problem being an opposition governor. I am not coming into APC because I want anything.
“I want our people to be reintegrated and have our own share of the Federal Government resources,” Nwobodo said.
Nwobodo recalled that while he was in PDP, his wife had always been an active member of the APC.
He pointed out that the slogan “change” did not start now with the APC.
According to him, it started in 1983, when he was an opposition governor.
However, in an earlier speech, a founding member of APC in Enugu State and former Secretary to State Government, Onyemuche Nnamani, noted that even as new members are welcome in the party, there was a need to recognize those who worked for the party’s success in the past.
“We recognize our old members and open door for new ones. Peace essentially is guarded by justice. Without justice, we have peace of the graveyard.
“Those who don’t cherish peace are those who have not tasted the other side. Please, let us do justice, let us carry everybody along,” Nnamani said.
It would be recalled that Nwobodo was recently named in the arms deal scandal that centered around the embattled former National Security Adviser Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd).
He was alleged to be among those that benefited from the multi-billion naira fraud which is currently being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
He denied any wrongdoing, saying that the money released to him by the NSA was meant to enable PDP leaders in the South-East to mobilize support for Jonathan’s campaign.
APC chieftains at the meeting include the party’s Enugu State secretary, Major General Chris Eze (rtd), member representing Enugu State in the Board of Trustees (BOT), Brigadier General Joseph Okoloagu (rtd.), the deputy chairman, Adolphus Ude, the publicity secretary, Mrs Kate Ofor, the governorship candidate, Barrister Okey Ezea, and the National Vice Chairman South-East, Emma Eneukwu.
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