Jim Nwobodo returns to PDP

Chief Jim Nwobodo, former Governor of old Anambra State, has returned to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the All Progressives Congress (APC) after a two-year spell in the ruling party.

Nwobodo was a founding member of PDP in 1998 but had left the party shortly after it lost power to APC in 2016.

He announced his return to PDP at a ceremony in his Amechi Awkunanaw country home in Enugu on Friday.

Nwobodo was welcomed back by notable PDP bigwigs like Professor Alphonsus (ABC) Nwosu, Ben Obi, Simeon Okeke, Oseloka Obazee and others.

Speaking at the event, the elder statesman, who was also a senator and minister, said he could not pretend that all was well in our country today with the escalating crisis, ranging from the economy, insecurity, tension among the three arms of government – executive, legislative and judiciary.

He equally noted the existence of dangerous divisions along tribal and religious lines, and different militant groups arising from the hues and cries of marginalization.

“What we are seeing are symptoms of deep rooted issues that should be brought to the table for discussions on how to address them. I am a democrat and a strong believer in democracy. Those of us who claim to be democrats have a duty to tell the president the truth and advise him appropriately.

“I have been chief executive of a big state and I appreciate how difficult it could be for the chief executive of a state or a country to know the true situation of things with the people you govern,” he said.

Citing just a few of the many undemocratic moves and sayings that are capable of igniting crisis, Nwobodo said as a member of APC and a democrat, he got visibly worried when he heard party members boasting that they had won the election and just waiting for results to be announced.

He wondered how the election was won when the elections are yet to take place.

“One of the tenets of democracy is the division of power among the different INDEPENDENT arms of government, namely Executive, Legislative and Judiciary. The desecration of any of these arms of government portends danger to democracy.

“The ongoing attempts to arraign and prosecute the chief justice of the federation in disregard to due process is a mockery of the judiciary, which is the last hope of the common man. It is even more worrisome to read in the papers that President was not aware of such moves.

“Now that the President is aware, he should please intervene and stop the desecration of Judiciary and restore respect for the rule of law. We are all aware of the implications of disrespect for the rule of law and its dangerous consequences. No genuine investor will take us serious and our image as country will seriously bruised,” Nwobodo said.

He explained that there was no option for him than to toe the line already taken by Ohanaeze Ndigbo when they had genuine worry about the fate of Ndigbo in Nigeria.

“As you can see, they are here today in a larger number, after their meeting with Ohanaeze. It is difficult for me to ignore their call and turn my back on them when they have a genuine worry about the fate of Igbos in Nigerian polity.

“I will do the same for any other zone that feels excluded because I am a true Nigerian in all sense of it. I was born in Lafia, spent my childhood and my early education there. Thereafter, I moved to Kafanchan in Kaduna state, where I had part of my education before going to University of Ibadan and thereafter taught at Kings’ College Lagos. From Kings College, I went to work for Shell BP in Port Harcourt. I have friends and relationships across all parts of Nigeria.

“As a governor, I worked hard to reconcile the late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, who had not sat together since after 1952 as a result of their political differences.

“I succeeded in bringing the two great leaders of blessed memory to my private residence in Enugu and they sat together, had lunch and discussed at length. Thereafter they communicated and attended political meetings and rallies together under the progressive alliance we had in the Second Republic,” he said.

Nwobodo said at this stage in his life, he sees himself more as an elder statesman than a partisan politician and speaks from this standpoint.

Nwobodo recalled that he had country both at the state and the federal level and in the course of his political journey from Second Republic till date, had his fair share of ups and downs.

“I made mistakes and learned from my mistakes, I have learned a lot from my experiences and feel qualified to speak on burning issues confronting us as a nation.

“My expectation had been to see an inspiring new hope and values for the younger generation of leaders in our country. But a situation where current leaders of political parties and public office holders disparage former presidents and former leaders in the media shows we have learnt nothing from history. Is that how we intend to groom and mentor the “not too young to run” and prepare them to take over the mantle of leadership?”