From; Madu Ezenoha, Enugu
Enugu state Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has been advised to remain in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) if he is interested in doing a second term as governor.
Former Commissioner for local government in Enugu State Chief Sam Ejiofor gave the advice at the weekend.
He said that it would be Ugwuanyi’s greatest political blunder if he defects to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Ejiofor who was an influential aide under the administration of former Governor Chimaroke Nnamani (1999-2007), spoke to select journalists at his country home, Agbani, at the weekend.
The former commissioner compared the APC to Nigeria, saying that despite having been together for more than 100 years as a country, Nigeria remains a fractious entity where “the centre cannot hold”.
“APC is not yet a political party, it is yet to hold a national convention since coming to power and the party may not survive 2019 general elections,” he said.
Ejiofor noted that although he strongly believes that the rumour being peddled in some quarters about possible defection of Governor Ugwuanyi to APC was untrue, he felt it was necessary to advise him and other politicians that might be contemplating leaving the PDP.
He said that those defecting from PDP to APC in the state and other parts of the country were doing so for either pecuniary interests or to evade the anti-graft agencies.
“PDP will still rule Enugu hundred times; either in the name of PDP or another strong party. If Ugwuanyi leaves PDP and enters APC that will mark his political doom,” he asserted.
On the recent defection of former Enugu state Governor, Sullivan Chime as well as Senator Jim Nwobodo and Senator Ken Nnamani to APC, Ejiofor said, “Right from time even when Sullivan was in government, he was in government physically but his soul was in APC. You know there is what is called peer group; where your peer is going is where you are likely to go. Sullivan is very close to (Chibuike) Amaechi; that he didn’t move when Amaechi moved was because of his health. That if he moves Jonathan will start pursuing him, but his soul was in APC.
“Two, he has questions to answer; he has a lot of cases in EFCC to answer; if he remained in PDP one day you will hear that they put him in chains. He entered APC to close up; Jim Nwobodo entered APC to close up; Ken Nnamani entered because of EEDC. I’ll tell you, I’m not entering because they are there, all is for protection,” he alleged.
The former “power house” of Chimaroke Nnamani’s administration decried what he called lack of ideological principles among Nigerian politicians. “We play politics not on ideological principles. If you play politics on ideological principles, you can have a policy and stand at a place.
But we are playing politics of stomach, where there is food we run to the place. “People who are now in PDP in Enugu are there because of what to eat not because they like the party. People who are defecting to APC are
doing so to evade probe, because APC does selective probe. If you are APC you are not a corrupt person, if you are not APC you are a corrupt person. That is the problem. ”Both parties are playing individualistic politics; it is not because you have an idea. Ask any politician why you joined this party, he won’t give you reason. If you have a reason whether good or bad you pursue it.
“Can you tell me why a man who made his way politically in a political party to become the senate president of the whole Nigeria, a party that made you to be that; only because of personal clash or provocation you tear
your membership card? Can I talk of a Nigerian, somebody was a senate president of Nigeria under the platform of a party and over night he switches over to another party. If they are switching over to another party, who will build PDP?
“If there is a fault, why not strive to correct it. If you failed an election you go back to drawing board and start afresh. But in Nigeria if you fail primaries, you will join another party tomorrow. Is it not selfish interest?