Jonathan Must Recontest In 2015 – Gov Orji

jonathan-portrait1Governor Theodore Ahamefule Orji of Abia State has emphatically declared his support for President Goodluck Jonathan’s reelection bid come 2015 just as he dismissed the faction of Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, led by Abubakar Kawu Baraje, saying there’s only one PDP.

He spoke with reporters last week in Umuahia, Abia State capital, when the state played host to the 9th biennial conference of the Nigerian Army Finance Corps.

Speaking on the strength of the ruling party in the state, he said, “There is no state in Nigeria right now that is more PDP than Abia State. In the House of Assembly, we have 24 members, and all of them are PDP members. In the Senate, our three senators are PDP members. In the Federal House of Representatives, we have eight representatives; all of them are PDP members. Mr. Governor is PDP. So, which state is more PDP than Abia? And there is nothing like old PDP and new PDP, we have one PDP; PDP has come to stay in Abia. We must make sure we remain one family”.

On what he thinks is responsible for the crisis rocking the PDP, Gov. Orji said, “PDP is made up of human beings with different ideas. So, we have to accommodate each other. The party is the only true Nigerian or national party. That is why everybody wants to belong to it. It has the capacity to take in everybody and this we shall do after resolving the current family issues confronting us. This is not the first time. And we have always overcome and emerged stronger. Because of the size, vibrancy, ability to deliver and successes, the party is seen as a goldmine and everybody wants to belong which is okay. The umbrella will eventually cover everybody.”

Declaring his support for Mr. Jonathan’s second term and the controversy surrounding whether the president should recontest or not, the governor has this to say, “Is he not entitled to second term? Going by our Constitution, he has only done one term. I (Governor Theodore Orji) am not hiding my own. I am supporting him and I will continue supporting him. He has the right to go for second term and he must go for it.”

-Sunday Vanguard