In the year 1999, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu currently representing the people of Abia North in the senate vied for the position of governor of Abia State on the platform of People’s Democratic party (PDP). He won that election.

Senator Orji Uzor Kalu governed Abia State for eight years on the platform of PDP before floating the Progressive people alliance (PPA).

The former governor Orji Uzor Kalu’s rift with the then president was largely the reason why this alternative platform was floated and it was with it that his Chief of staff at the time, Chief Theodore Ahamefula Orji eventually became the governor thereafter despite having being in detention at the time of the election.

Chief T.A Orji left the Progressive people alliance (PPA) in the year 2010 to return to the PDP after he accused his predecessor of literarily not allowing him to do the business of governance as he was convinced was the best way to do it for ndi Abia.

Former governor T.A Orji’s trip from PPA back to PDP

The former governor T.A Orji moved his political structure back to PDP afterwards but unfortunately his tenure did not offer Abians the best of governance relatively. At the completion of his eight (8) years tenure as the governor of the state, he deliberately handed over to Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu who contested and won the election on the platform of the PDP.

Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu ended up being the only governor in Abia state from 1999 till 2023 who won his election with a political party and stuck with that party till the end of his tenure.

With the many challenges facing Dr. Alex Otti of the Labour party and the political parties freely offering him their platforms as alternatives, we would watch to see if he would have to move to another political party in the course of his political journey or stick with labour party till the end of his tenure.

Moreso we must remind Dr. Alex Otti that as long as his political alignment poses any form of threat to the presidency, then there is no political party he heads out to that would be insulated from internal party crisis.

Political parties in Nigeria and their ideologies.

Nigeria is assumed to be a democracy and it is expected according to our laws that to vie for an election in the country, you must belong to a political party which presents you the contestant for the election. This explains why individuals cannot contest elections as independent candidates in Nigeria.

The political parties in Nigeria are merely vehicles with which elections are contested, as there are no known political ideologies associated with most of these political parties in reality.

What we have is a situation where whoever becomes a President of the country on any political party platform assumes the position of the national leader of the party while the state governors become the leaders of the political party with which they contested the election once you don’t have a “god the father” like the “Rivers state Maradona”.

This implies that what the president and governors implement in their political parties are their personal political philosophies and not necessarily the political ideologies of the political parties with which they got into office.

This goes to explain in very clear terms that these political parties are largely built around the Presidents, governors and then the other elected public office holders in such parties who fund their activities.

Political parties in Nigeria as special purpose vehicles

We all know that except for this political dispensation where some politicians are sponsoring divisions in other political parties to keep them actively distracted from pursuing a common goal which would be in the interest of their various parties, no political party in the past had the temerity to sanction its elected officials especially the President or governors because they are largely the ones who fund the operations of their political party.

With factional political party Chairmen like Barr. Julius Abure suspending the only elected governor on the platform of Labour party, it is clear that a script is being acted out in a Nollywood style.

The resources these elected office holders commit to the running of the party explains why these political office holders are often handled with kid gloves as there are no established consequences either for ditching a political party and joining another. This means that when these elected officers’ defect, the party loses more.

Dislodging the PDP from power in Abia State

Dr. Alex Otti with the Labour party platform in 2023 dislodged the PDP from power in the state during that election year after over 20 years in power.

We cannot tell the story of how Dr. Alex Otti pulled a fierce come back to become the governor of Abia state in 2023 without reminding you our dear reader that in the year 2015 he contested on the platform of APGA and lost. Dr. Alex Otti and his team stretched the Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu administration with unusual election litigations as they fought to reclaim their mandate which they claimed was given to them by the masses but stolen by the PDP.

However, winning the 2015 gubernatorial election was impossible for Dr. Alex Otti and APGA because the PDP and its machineries were compact and intact in that election and as such, it was impossible on all counts to dislodge them.

It is instructive to note that to keep his dream of governing Abia state alive between the year 2015 – 2023, Dr. Alex Otti actively engaged the government in power as a frontline opposition leader who kept the incumbent on their toes by amplifying every of their weaknesses and rallying the masses towards the hope and succour he promised to offer if elected as the governor in the years to come. A feat the PDP at this time lack the ability to put up.

We must acknowledge most clearly that the journey to taking out the PDP was not one achieved suddenly. It is glaring that it was a product of well thought out and implemented strategy, excellent deployment of a smooth and well-greased propaganda machinery and ability to harness the disorderliness in your opponent’s camp to your own advantage.

PDP field marshals and their need for political survival

Lately, the field marshals of the PDP era in Abia state are leaving the party in droves to align with the All-Progressive congress largely while some are digesting their shames and joining the labour party. This is not unexpected because in Nigerian politics, the winner takes it all and as such there is nothing for them to benefit from, being in the PDP at this time.

Abia state politically at this time is under the firm grip of Dr. Alex Otti who is the governor. This can be seen in the number of PDP state legislators and stakeholders that have jumped ship to be with the governor in the same party. The truth is that these movements are being made with the aim of surviving the political permutations in the days ahead.

With the recent movement of the former governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s Chief Press Secretary Barr. Ememanka Onyebuchi to Labour party, a man who discharged his duty with boldness, class and commitment out of the PDP, it only shows that some strategic defections would still happen in the months to come and this is because the PDP in the state has clearly not shown any interest to rebuild the party and position it as a worthy opposition party.

The days ahead would be interesting for the PDP in the state but I doubt if I would dare hold any grudge against anyone who moves out of the PDP at this time to join any other party where they feel that their political future and interest stands a better chance.

The PDP as a party just like others does not have any ideology to rally its members around and as such it is critical that whoever chooses to stay back in the party understands the implications (nothing to share unlike what they are used to over the years) and for those whose body are in the PDP while they are working for the APC, I think that the time to be a “man” is now. Boldly acknowledge that you are done with the party for now and move to where your bread would be buttered in the interim while party members who are a bit more daring can stay back and rebuild the party. That is if the PDP is not finally buried at the national.

Finally, it is now clear to all that politics in this part of the world is a business venture and majorly transactional where the loyalty of the players is first to their own survival and not necessarily to the development of our society. This explains why despite our huge mineral and human resources as a nation, we seem to have sworn to an oath to never leave the developing country category of classification of nations.

The moment Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu allowed his allies to make a mess of the 2023 party primaries (s)election of candidates, that was the minute the political party was buried in the state. We hope that a viable opposition springs up in Abia state as it is needed to get the best out of Dr. Alex Otti’s administration as therein lies the beauty of democracy. The days ahead would be interesting for PDP party members as they are yet to establish themselves in the state as a formidable opposition party. With the drama going on with the PDP at the national level, the party does not seem serious yet.