Following alleged frustration by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Delta State governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s marginalisation of Delta North in the scheme of things,
the lawmaker representing the district in National Assembly, Senator Ned Nwoko, is set to officially dump his party for the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Speaking on Arise TV, Nwoko’s Director of Communications, Gloria Okolugbo, disclosed that the lawmaker had already declared his intention to leave PDP during a meeting with stakeholders of Delta North, his supporters and constituents.
According to Okolugbo, “Senator Nwoko came prepared to serve and deliver the dividends of good governance to Anioma people, but regrettably, he had not enjoyed the cooperation and support of his party, the PDP in pursuit of his vision, even as the only PDP Senator in Delta State.”
She cited instances of frustration by Oborevwori and the PDP to include refusal to assist in funding the Okpai Independent Power Project, IPP, stepdown to supply electricity to no fewer than 60 communities in Delta North and the Ogwashi-Uku Dam to provide water to the community and the environs.
Okolugbo explained that Nwoko believed that it’s of no use to remain in a party where his electioneering campaign promises to the people of Delta North could hardly be fulfilled despite the marginalization the zone had suffered in the past.
The Communications Director blamed the PDP in Delta for lacking internal democracy, disclosing that Nwoko would make his defection public anytime soon even as she said palpable tension had already enveloped the PDP camp in the state over the planned defection to the ruling APC.
“What I can tell you is that today, Senator Ned Nwoko held a consultative meeting with his constituents to inform them of his interest to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party.
“With the concluded arrangements by the senator representing Delta North’s defection to the All Progressives Congress, APC, the ruling APC will now have all the three senators in its fold.
“There has been a lot of processes that he has gone through trying to speak to the internal party structures to see that the issues that we have in Delta North are resolved.
“As it is now, Delta PDP has lost all three Senators to the ruling APC, a development that could spell doom for the PDP in Delta State.
“One of the key reasons for which a legislator or a serving member can defect is factionalization. You don’t have to see violence before you know there’s factionalization in the party.
“And as we move ahead, it’s very important for us to strengthen the democratic institutions. representative democracy is actually about balance of power, transparency in governance and accountable use of resources.
“So it took a lot of groundwork and a lot of service to the people before we got PDP to become the predominant party of Delta State that delivered the last set of votes.
“Distinguished Senator Ned Nwoko was on the field even after he had won his elections, promising the electorate that together they would deliver the dividends of god governance, because this is about representative democracy,” Okolugbo stressed.
