Delta State Governor Sheriff Oberevwori, his deputy Sir Onyeme, former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and his supporters defected from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Propersives Congress (APC), against Nigeria is moving towards an independent state.
Senator Chris Ekpenyong, who was the founding father of the PDP and former deputy governor of Akwa Ibom State, said President Bola Tinubu effectively captured the PDP and the party may have a hard time recovering.
“This means Tinubu has killed the PDP. I’m sure Akwa Ibom may be following soon. Everyone wants former vice president Atiku to say clearly that he won’t be in the game, but his perseverance forces people to make their own decisions. It’s a division between the north and the south. What are we doing now? Honestly destroying the party.
He noted that the PDP’s decision to hand over the party structure to the governor was the root of its decline.
“The first mistake the PDP made was to hand over the party to the governor. It was a founding father like Obasanjo Made. Obasanjo caught the party. The only people standing by him were the late Sunday President Awoniyi and former Vice President Alex Ekwueme, who were actually in Alex Ekwueme in pdp, and we founded ekwueme in pdp.
Ekpenyong lamented that the party was once conceived as an artificially driven organization that became a tool for individuals to survive and protect against prosecution. “The party was kept in the hands of the governor and now controls everything. They know why defections exist, mainly to protect themselves from the EFCC. We will wait and see what happens when Tinubu completes his two terms.
He noted that in reflecting on the early signs of the decline of PDP, “when the party was handed over to the governor, it was obvious. In the second republic, the Nigerian National Party (NPN) was not controlled by the governor. If so, I would not be a young man, even young man, when I was young.
Ekpenyong also revealed that he suggested that the embattled river governor Siminalayi Fubara find the audience with President Tinubu. “I called Fubara, he didn’t answer. But I sent him a message. I told him that since Tinubu was in France, he should visit him because this whole battle is about delivering Rivers State votes to Tinubu. The young man is being humiliated by Wike, and the President has done nothing. Instead, he installed an administrator in the state. This is clearly about votes. Fubara has to survive politically, if not, he’ll be rubbished,” he said.
He criticized the current PDP governor for his view of his weaknesses and lack of courage. “They are weak. They are concerned about power and their own survival. Some governors in the north may also jump ship. Atiku is the problem. He should focus on rebuilding the party, not always aiming at the president.”
Ekpenyong described this situation as the end of the PDP, saying: “Only the actions of the people can bring about real opposition.
He concluded that the imbalance caused by the PDP decision had far-reaching consequences after the death of President Umaru Musa Yar’adua. “The PDP made a huge mistake after the death of late President Yar’adua. They should have someone in the North go on. But they insisted that it was the turn of the South. It broke the balance. I don’t think the PDP is back. Maybe after Tinubu’s tenure, people will decide to create a new party,” Ekpeng Yuan said. ”
When asked about the possibility of an independent candidate, he replied: “What should you do if you choose to be an independent contest and they eliminate you at the last minute?”
