A former leading member of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia State, Barrister Chibuike Nwokeukwu (SAN) has said that the party cannot defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 presidential election.
Nwokeukwu stated this while speaking to LEADERSHIP Weekend after defecting to the APC along with three other top politicians in the state in Umuahia, the capital predicting that it would be equally difficult for the PDP to retain power in the state in 2023.
He said he joined the ruling party to avoid what happened to Ndigbo after the 2015 presidential election in terms of appointments by the government, beckoning “other South Easterners to join the winning train to avoid reoccurrence of that experience.”
The others are the Social Democratic Party (SDP) 2019 governorship candidate for the state, Dr Blessing Nwagba, immediate past transition committee chairman, Ukwa West local government council, Chief Sylvanus Nwaji, and Architect Anagha Mba.
In her comments, Nwagba, a former two-term member of the State House of Assembly for Aba North state constituency on the platform of the PDP between 2007 and 2019 said she joined the APC in continuation of her quest for improving wellbeing of the constituency and the state.
Similarly, Nwaji, who served as an adviser to former Governor Orji Uzor Kalu on Petroleum Matters and later as executive chairman of the council, said he joined the party to be part of the crusade to continue with the party’s change agenda for the country.
According to Mba, a former secretary of the party, who said he was returning to where he belongs, the time had come when patriots like him could no longer sit on the fence and watch the state remain in opposition to the federal government.
Speaking for the party after the formal reception of the new members, one of the leaders, Mr Ben Godson said they had made the best political choice for themselves assuring them of equal treatment and opportunities as others.
He said the time had come for the people to join hands together under platform of the party to move the state forward, maintaining that in a matter of weeks more politicians from other parties across the country would defect to the party.
