PDP Chairman, Secondus. Photo: TWITTER/UcheSecondus
• His Coming Will Add Value – APC
At a time when changing parties by members of the National Assembly has become a hobby, the defection of Osinachukwu Ideozu, formerly senator of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State to the All Progressives Congress (APC), surprisingly did not cause a stir. Perhaps, its because the defection of Ideozu, who was the only remaining PDP member representing Rivers West senatorial district to the All Progressives Congress (APC) had long been anticipated.
Rumour of the defection started to make the rounds when his political ally and kinsman, Martyns Mannah, who represents Ahoada East Constituency 1 at the Rivers State House of Assembly defected to the APC, accusing the PDP of oppression.
The politics of defection reached a crescendo in Rivers State when former governor, now, minister of transportation, Chibuike Amaechi and virtually all his cabinet, majority of state and national legislators, and other aides hopped from the PDP to the APC in November, 2013.
While defection could be caused by polarisation of political ideas and interests, prompting political actors to change political affiliations, the Senator has not formally declared the reason for his twilight defection, The Guardian gathered he had been crossed with Governor Nyesom Wike for not allowing him to dominate the party in the Ahoada axis of the state. Another PDP source claimed the Senator may have had premonition that he would not be given the ticket to return to the National Assembly by the party. This according to him provided a fertile ground for Ideozu’s leaving the PDP.
Indication of a frosty relationship between him and the PDP was manifest when he was conspicuously absent at the party’s mega rally last August in Ahoada. This was at a time when the speculation of his planned defection had become rife.
The Senator’s much anticipated defection ought to have taken place during an APC Rivers West senatorial district rally at Omoku, headquarters of Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni local government area of the state, but he never showed up, thus, fuelling speculations that he may have mended fences with Governor Wike and other chieftains of the party.
Sources close to the senator declared that Ideozu who was minority whip of the State House of Assembly from 1999 to 2003; a member of House of Representatives between 2003 and 2007 where he represented Abua-Odual/Ahoada East Federal Constituency; Commissioner of Finance in October 2007 under Governor Chibuike Amaechi regime, before he was elected a senator, did not defect from the PDP because of his lust for power.
“ I can assure you that leaving the PDP could not have been an easy choice for him, but, we must bear in mind that politics is a game of interest as widely acknowledged. If his interest in the PDP was no longer tenable, he has the option to decide his political fate, which he has just done. Note that the Senator is not a candidate in the 2019 elections, so, lust for political power could not have been his motive for leaving PDP,” he said.
The defection has finally depleted the PDP’s grip on all the three senatorial seats it once won in 2015. PDP lost the Rivers East senatorial seat under controversial circumstances to the APC at the tribunal. It also lost the Rivers South-East to APC during the 2016 violence-ridden rerun legislative elections.
Ideozu is not the only participant in this mild drama of defection. Mr. Barry Mpigi representing Tai, Eleme and Oyigbo federal constituency had earlier defected from the APC to the PDP, where he has secured the party’s ticket for the Rivers South-East senatorial district. While the business of defection has hit both the APC and PDP, the defection statistics indicate that the political equation has not been really altered. Presently, Rivers House of Assembly has 27 PDP lawmakers and 6 for APC; House of Representatives PDP 11, APC 2; Senate APC 3.
Considering the gale of unbridled defection, both the PDP and the APC in the state have not made much fuse over the Senator’s defection. But, former publicity secretary of the PDP in the State, Samuel Nwanosike, said Ideozu’s exit did not jolt the party, which had been unhappy with his abysmal performance in the Senate in the past three years.
“As far as we are concerned, he has already left for the APC long ago. We were just waiting for him to make the formal announcement. When a people bestow their confidence in you and you decide to satisfy yourself, that is bad politics. But not to worry, the people of Rivers West senatorial district have resolved that this time around to get a senator that they stand with them in trial times and that is why PDP has given their ticket to a vibrant candidate in the person of Betty Apiafi who now represents Ahoada-East/Abua/Odual federal constituency,” he said.
He added: “The exit of Ideozu will not affect us in any way. First of all he is not even running in 2019. He knew that because he did not do well that he could not get the opportunity of flying our flag. So to him, he had that opportunity on time. He left for his personal gain. He left because he felt he would get an opportunity in APC to benefit himself and not his people. As far as we are concerned, his leaving is inconsequential. If a man has not done well, what is his use? This is a man who has not presented one bill. Look we have a flood situation in that senatorial district and he is not speaking.”
APC publicity secretary, Chris Finebone, said the party stands to reap from Ideozu’s defection.Finebone explained that the senator had long ago made known his defection plan to his ward before participating as statutory delegation at the last APC national convention. He dismissed the PDP’s claim that the defection was of no electoral significance.
“Every individual that leaves your party leaves with something and every individual that joins comes with something. His coming over is adding credence to the fact that we are on ground in Rivers State as we now have three senators in the Senate. His joining us will be advantageous to the APC,” he added.
