The Chief Press Secretary to Former Governor of Abia State Okezie Ikpeazu Barr Onyebuchi Ememanka has resigned from the People’s Democratic Party(PDP)
below is his Letter to the Party
GOODBYE, PDP!
A while ago, I submitted my letter of resignation of my membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the Chairman of the party in my Amasato Ward 3, Osisioma Ngwa LGA, my dear brother, Chief Chiemela Ufomba.
The decision, though painful, had become inevitable. It is a decision I took after very deep personal reflection and in consultation with my family.
After the 2023 election which we lost, my thinking was that the party will go into a review of the factors that led to the loss and restrategize for the future. Personally, I girded my loins and prepared for life in the opposition. In my view, it would also be nice to know how it felt being outside of government and play the opposition, which is a critical role in a democracy. I willingly transmuted from Chief Press Secretary to the Governor to Spokesman to the immediate Past Governor, an assignment I accepted to perform, PRO BONO!
I and other committed members of the party, especially in the media, took up the very difficult assignment of engaging the new administration of Dr Alex Otti. We mounted a robust defence of our administration and our Principal against the rampaging onslaught of a government that enjoyed massive public support.
However, to my shock, the reorganization I looked forward to never happened. Rather, what I saw was a deliberate and consistent exodus of key members of the party into other parties. As someone who is fairly new in the political system, I tried to understand the rationale behind this persistent and large scale human resources hemorrhage but the more I sought for answers, the more the hemorrhage continued.
The most startling aspect was that people who since 1999 have benefited massively from the party, riding on her platform to different public offices back to back, between 1999 and 2023 were the first to leave. It was a very unfortunate situation indeed. But I chose to stay.
Its been two years now and people are still leaving the party. Elected public office holders who rode on the back of the party to electoral victory are leaving in droves. Sadly, this is beyond Abia State.
This situation prompted me to ask myself a question…Am I Jesus Christ? Who bears the sins of the whole world?
Mbu Jesus, Okpara Chineke, onye na ebupu mmehie nke uwa?
I answered that question in Olokoro Umuahia tongue… ODUGHU PLEASE!
As a young man, I still have a lot of fire in my bones. I still have a lot to offer our people. I want to be in politics and public service and I am fully entitled to my dreams and aspirations. But it is one thing to have a vision and another to bring it to fruition. You need a viable platform to achieve that dream. This is the truth.
Remaining in the PDP will make that plan a mirage, at least, in the immediate future.
Consequently, I have chosen to leave. I do so with deep gratitude to the PDP for the opportunities I got. I also served the party with undiluted dedication. I will always remember this party with a lot of fondness.
I am most particularly grateful to my Oga,, Okezie Victor Chibuikem Ikpeazu, PhD, FNES, GSSRS, immediate Past Executive Governor of Abia State, a man of peace and a man with a good heart, for finding me worthy to serve him as Chief Press Secretary and for the exceptional privilege of holding that position for one full tenure, making me the very first person in the history of the State to hold that record.
Dr. Ikpeazu, his wife, and entire family treated me with a lot of warmth and kindness. They showed me and my family love and I will forever cherish this. He opened the doors of his family to me and my family. This move is not about him at all.
My joy is that I built a relationship with Ikpeazu that is beyond the narrow confines of politics and he can rest assured that I will always cherish what we shared. I am not one of those who will come out tomorrow to speak ill of him nor the party.
Dr Ikpeazu gave the State his best under the prevailing circumstances and he left the state better than he met it. This is a fact!
I pray that God will give him opportunities for more elevated service to our people.
To my friends in the PDP, especially those with whom we fought the media wars, I must salute your tenacity and courage. I am sure you know that what we shared is a genuine brotherhood which will hopefully endure beyond partisan politics. I wish you all the best.
So where am I going?
Honestly, I haven’t decided. I am still consulting. It’s a very complex situation and one that I have never been in before. But I have to decide, and quickly too.
In the recent past, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu has been impressing me with his deft and smooth political moves.
Fingers crossed!
So, there you have it, my people!
Awaalam!
Ururu Aja
Shadow this, Shadow that!
