Ugochukwu, others back Orji's defection to PDP

Abia State governor, Chief Theodore Orji has expressed joy that all those who had in the past fought him, including the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) ...

governorship candidate in the State, Chief Onyema Ugochukwu and other prominent Abians have resolved to support him in the bid to move the state forward. As part of efforts to correct the imbalance in the administration of the terms of the Chatter of Equity, which was distorted by some ill-informed power brokers, power would move to Abia South zone after his next four year in office. However, Business Hallmark reliably gathered that the reconciliation with the party leaders in the state is at a huge cost to the government. 
Addressing a town hall meeting recently, Governor Orji explained that his aim for seeking a second tenure in office is to make a mark and correct the mistakes of the past. He said the Town hall meeting was summoned to seek the opinion of the grassroots on the political future of both himself and Abia State, in general. He had implored the people to decide whether he should join the PDP or not, following the earlier visit of the national leadership of the party to woo him.
The governor assured the people that whatever decision that he will take will be in the interest of the people of the state. He was of the view that entering the mainstream of Nigerian politics will be in the overall interest of the state and its people as the state stands to benefit all the things that have been denied it due to quarrels with the federal government in the past.
The governor who declared the essence of the town meeting was to give everyone in the state a voice in the decision making of the state asserted that everyone in the state has equal right and promised Abians that henceforth things will be better for Abia.
Orji lamented that he was not given a free hand to take decisions (by the PPA headship) until the recent liberation of the state from bondage, adding that henceforth appointments will be made based on merit.
Meanwhile, as Abians await the outcome of the court suit by the State chapter of the PDP, praying for the vacation of the order dissolving the State exco by the National Working Committee of the party to make for formal declarations by the governor, Abians, in their different representations have endorsed the defection of governor Theodore Orji into the PDP.
They are firm in their resolute that Orji should fly the party's flag in the 2011 governorship race. The town hall meetings by both Abia-North senatorial Zone (the only senatorial zone captured by the defunct PPA) and the All Town Unions, different groups and organizations, including market Unions in the State, summoned to sieve the feelings of the people on the political future of governor Orji, have respectively given kudos to the governor to lead Abia into the mainstream of Nigerian politics by joining the PDP.
At their various fora, in Umuahia, they unanimously endorsed the movement of the state governor, Chief Orji to the People's Democratic Party PDP as a way of moving Abia forward. The people, comprising executives of town unions, Ochendo support groups and other notable Abians lent their full support for the governor in any move that will be in the interest of the state.
In a unanimous motion, moved by Mr. Ogbuenfi Olima from Umunneochi and supported by Emenike Okorie from Bende LGA, respectively, at the end of their one-day consultative meeting in Umuahia, all the political stakeholders representing the various LGA's that comprise the zone, implored the legislators and all supporters to declare en-mass for the PDP.
Addressing the group after adopting the motion, the member representing Bende-North state constituency in the Abia House of Assembly, Chief Princewill Onyegbu urged the stakeholders to go home and consolidate their various localities for the victory of the PDP. He said the motion to abandon APGA for PDP demands hard work if victory is to be achieved in the end.
Earlier, senator Chukwumerije had appealed to people of the area that movement over to PDP would strengthen Ndigbo to fight their course at the centre as well as make for national integration and rapid development of Abia State, in particular.
The Senator noted that Abia had been marginalized, since 1999 when it separated itself from the centre, due to the antagonism the past administration of the state engaged itself with the centre. He made it clear that Abia pitching its tent with the ruling party (PDP) would give the state a sense of belonging and offer opportunities to get whatever it demands from the Federal government.
In a statement made available to Business Hallmark in Umuahia, a one-time Senator representing Abia-North Senatorial zone in the National Assembly, Chief Emma Nwaka dismissed the insinuation that movement of the governor to PDP, soon after he joined APGA, may portray him (the governor) as fickle minded, pointing out that time is of the essence in this matter.”