The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ebonyi State has strongly criticized the recent departure of former Senator Obinna Ogba, who once represented Ebonyi North Senatorial Zone, along with his supporters who left the party.
Dr. Augustine Nwazunku, the party's chairman in the state, expressed this sentiment during an interview with The PUNCH on Monday.
Notably, a prominent figure, Anyim Pius Anyim, who previously held the position of Secretary to the Government of the Federation, joined Ogba and others in defecting to the All Progressives Congress (APC) last week. Ogba cited leadership inconsistencies as the reason for his departure from the PDP.
However, the PDP chairman reaffirmed the party's unity and determination to challenge the ruling APC in future state elections. He suggested that Ogba's decision to switch to the APC stemmed from his inability to secure victory in the PDP's gubernatorial primaries in 2022.
He said, “We in the PDP had decided to forge ahead without the distractions of these planted fifth-columnists but they are making the process of leaving the PDP for the APC become an endless programme of stage-managed noise-making.
“This is seven months after these characters betrayed the PDP and worked for the APC during the last general elections.
“If we ignore them, they will still come back tomorrow to make more noise.”
Nwazunku claimed that it was the PDP that gave Ogba the political exposure that he now enjoys which culminated in his going to the Senate for two terms from 2015 to 2023.
“If he thinks he can destroy the party which made him what he is today, we wish him good luck,” he stated.
