National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, yesterday appealed to the Abia State Governor, Chief Theodore Orji, to emulate his Imo counterpart, Governor Ikedi Ohakim, who recently defected from the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) to PDP.
He denied that PDP was behind the crisis rocking PPA but stated that the ruling party would not impose any condition on the former Governor of Abia State, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, if he decides to return to PDP.
“We hope that Governor T.A. Orji will see the light and join PDP where he would meet the challenges of development and compare notes with other governors on the way forward,” he said.
He said as the PDP Chairman, his goal is to win Abia State back to the ruling party’s fold because he desires development for the state.
“When PDP governors meet, they discuss developments and compare notes on the challenges facing them and on how to improve the lots of the electorate. Other governors and states outside PDP are backward and we therefore hope that the Abia State Governor, Chief T.A. Orji, will see the light and join the PDP,” he said.
On whether PDP is not indirectly championing a one-party state in Nigeria, Ogbulafor said: “No, we don’t want a one-party state in Nigeria but as a chairman of a political party, I want more members for my party including the former governor of Abia State, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu. If he wants to return to PDP, there is no objection.”
He, however, said the former Abia State governor had not approached the party on his possible return.
On the lingering ASUU strike, Ogbulafor appealed to the striking university teachers to call off the strike in the interest of the suffering Nigerian students.
He said: “ASUU should call off this strike. Our children are suffering. You don’t win everything. They should call off the strike before our students forget what they have been taught so far.
“ASUU should be very considerate and show understanding with what government has offered to them. ASUU should go out and negotiate. President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua is gradually reaching out to labour on how to resolve this crisis.”
He said that it was not possible for government to sign any agreement with ASUU since majority of the university teachers are employed by the state governments.
