By Nyerovwho Oghenetejiri

Members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ethiope West Local Government Area, Delta State and Nigeria in general have been called upon to work as a united body with a view to strengthen the party in order to win back members who had decamped, making plans to decamp to retain the state as a PDP state come 2019 and beyond.

This call was made by Mr. Kelvin Oghor Ogbodu, Co-ordinator, Okowability Prosperity Network (OPN) in a statement made available to journalists in Effurun,  he said that 2019  is just by the corner adding that as a result, it is pertinent for members of the party to collaborate with one another to win back members who had jumped ship over one or two reasons, may be felt used and offended and not compensated with political positions to come back into the party to become strong again, adding, “let’s do this not only in Ethiope West Local Government Area but in the state, South South geo-political zone and at the national level.”

According to Mr. Ogbodu who is the Chief Executive Officer (C.E.O), Kelvin Ogbodu Foundation, “I am using this opportunity to call on all our brothers and sisters of Ethiope West Local Government Area, Delta State and the nation who are aggrieved in one way or the other about the going on in our great party to be patient and remain in the party for us to strengthen it, let us join hands together to work as one strong family as we used to be under the big umbrella to our great party to greater heights.”

He added, ” let’s do this not only in Ethiope West, but throughout the state and at the national level with a view to keep the state for our great party, the PDP as well as get back at the national level. Let us work hard also to get new members into the party, you can see that almost over 40% of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Labour Party and other party with strong holds are former members of our great party, so we have a lot of work to do . I will also commend our members who had been faithful and loyal to the party to remain so and be more committed as victory is sure for us come 2019′”

Mr. Ogbodu called on leaders of the party and all those elected on the platform of the PDP to ensure that all those seen to have worked for the success of the party are compensated either with appointments or given some form of encouragement to enable them do more in next elections. He called on Deltans  to support the Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa led administration in the state to enable him deliver on his SMART Agenda Programme for the benefit of all .

On the return of Chief James Onanefe Ibori, former governor of Delta State from London where he served a jail term, Mr. Ogbodu expressed appreciation to God for strengthening Chief Ibori to go through his travails, he said that Chief Ibori is a dynamic leader with the

interest of the people at heart, he prayed God to give him protection and wisdom to carry on now that he (Ibori) is back on the nation’s political scene.

Mr. Ogbodu spoke further, “Chief Ibori is an enigma, a thorough bred politician who knows his onions with the interest of his people at heart, he has gone through the mills now, God saw him through his travails and not very many people can go through what he has gone

through and still stand strong, we give God the glory for His(God) mercy upon him(Ibori). Chief Ibori is a man of the people, you may have noticed that from the mammoth crowd that came out at the Osubi Airport and his country home in Oghara, Ethiope West Local Government Area to welcome him home.”