A former legislator representing Umuahia East in Abia State House of Assembly, Chukwudi Apugo, has disclosed that internal problems and alleged saboteurs in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, ruined the chances of the party retaining control of the State during the 2023 election.
Apugo’s disclosure followed a series of blame games that erupted among some members of the PDP in the State over the present fortunes of the party.
The ex-lawmaker who spoke on the heels of the recent call by a PDP pro-group for the removal of the party’s State Chairman, Asiforo Okere, said that the chairman was not the cause of the party’s misfortunes and its poor performance in the 2023 polls.
A group known as Abia PDP Redemption Movement for 2027, had on Thursday, demanded Okere’s immediate resignation or sack, blaming the former ruling party’s woeful outing in 2023 on his alleged incompetence and high-handedness.
But absolving Okere of any blame, Apugo accused some party chieftains of working against their own party during the last general elections, alleging that such persons are the brain behind the calls.
Although he noted that some of the issues raised by the group “are somehow true”, he said the demand for Okere’s sack was unnecessary.
Apugo further argued that it would be unfair to single out the Chairman who even delivered his booth, ward and local government for the party while other stakeholders who sabotaged PDP and lost their booths were not being mentioned.
He lamented that some members of PDP rushed into the street to celebrate the defeat of their own party during the general election, wondering why such persons are now blaming the Abia PDP Chairman for destroying the party.
“We know the people sponsoring this faceless group. We know the people that destroyed our party during the last elections. Those who were dancing on the streets and celebrating our loss after the 2023 polls should not come back to further destroy the party that is beginning to recover from the misfortunes. We won’t give them any chance!
“From my investigations, those who sabotaged PDP in 2023 are the ones trying to come back through the back door and further destroy the party but nobody will allow them again”, he said.
He praised former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, the party guber candidate Okey Ahiwe; former Senate President, Adolphus Wabara; and some other party members for their efforts to rebuild the party, while declaring that “the party would soon recover”.