…As Ogbuagu laments Disunity in Delta APC

…Inaugurates Delta State Coalition for Buhari

By Francis Sadhere

The wind of change blowing round the country is taking its toll on the Peoples Democratic Party as one of its staunched members, Chief John Miller Omagbemi Orido, together with his followers, yesterday, defected to the ruling All Progressives Party, (APC).

Chief Orido who was welcomed to the APC fold in Delta State at an enlarged ceremony that took place at Chinkelly Schools, in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta state, in his response said he decided to leave the PDP and come to the APC because he and his followers had not gained anything from the PDP.

Dr. (Mrs.) Veronica Ogbuagu (2nd Left), Chief (Sir) John Orido (riht), Chief K.E. Maduka (Left), and other APC members jubilating as they welcome Chief John Orido to the APC fold.

He said, “The saying goes that if your church cannot change you, you changed your church. The political party I belonged to i.e. PDP did not change nor add to my life. Thanks to God for the APC party that has brought good change to Nigeria, including Delta State.”

He said the ceremony that marked his reception into the APC fold was new beginning and dedication for him within and outside Delta State, adding that the time had come for Deltans to join hands with the APC to fight corruption which is the bane of underdevelopment and poverty in the society.

The former PDP chieftain called on all APC members in the country to adjust to the new changes and imbibe the culture of hard work, clean opportunities which will result in true growth to actual societal development devoid of any of ills.

He said, “Our societal economic values and orientation will be geared towards development that is visible rather than those illusory publications of praises in the daily newspapers. I implore you to embrace the present change as a goal to achieve. APC has shown the world the need to imbibe tolerance, hard work, accountability and so on.”

Earlier, former Delta State Education Commissioner and proprietress of Chinkelly Schools, Dr. (Mrs.) Veronica Ogbuagu lamented the state of Delta APC, saying that party was in disarray.

She noted that the leadership of Delta State chapter of the APC has been mired with litigation and other controversies after the 2015 election, adding that nobody is in direct control of the party causing its foundation to weaken dangerously.

“Today, we have so many splinter groups within the party holding secret meetings and playing games that undermine the party. There are also some party elders who refuse to recognize that the party has numerous problems to solve and so they keep insisting that all is well. Such elders sweep failure under the rug or examine problem from a defensive position that undermine their ability to rational decisions,” she said.

Dr. Ogbuagu stressed that Delta APC cannot make progress when they are stagnant and they cannot be relevant in the National or state politics if they are not organized, adding that now that the party is at the helm of affairs, it should give them the incentive and motivation to organize themselves.

She stressed that President Buhari government was revolutionary and progressive, saying that the President is is determined sanitize the system, reverse the ill fortune of the country and serve every Nigerian.

The former Delta State Commissioner for Education added that the APC needed competent leaders who can unify all the factions in the party, stressing that “it would be unfortunate for the APC to die in Delta State under their watch” because they are unable to move in a different direction.

Dr. Ogbuagu used the opportunity to salute Olorogun O’tega Emerhor of the APC and Chief Great Ogboru of the Labour Party for advancing the course of democracy in Delta state by fighting a good fight in the 2015 elections and graciously accepting the decision of the Supreme Court when it eventually granted victory in governorship election to Senator Ifeanyi Okowa of the PDP.

Also, the Delta State APC used the celebration of Chief Orido to its fold, to inaugurate the Delta State Coalition for Buhari (DESCOB), a political group with a vision to promote and consolidate democratic values, socio-economic development and security in Delta State.

According to Chief Orido, who inaugurated the group, the mission of DESCOB, “is to create a conducive environment devoid of rancor, to raise and retain a conglomerate of outstanding and purpose driven Deltans aiming for peace, unity, progress and all-round development where the dividends of democracy are achieved.”

The aims and objectives of the body, he added is to widen the influence of the party in Delta State, serve as a medium through which members of the APC party in Delta State speak, act as a body and contribute to matters of good governance.

Other aim and objective of the body, according to Chief Orido, is to unit all party members who are willing to assist President Buhari and the party to restore the fortune of this nation, to take active interest in the civic, political, social, moral and general welfare of the state chapter of the party in particular and the growth and development of party members as a whole, to foster unity and co-operation between President Buhari’s administration and Deltan and to encourage party member to actively and diligently undertake the important task of winning future elections.