Ikpeazu: PDP Governor Ready to Defect to APC? Senate Chief Whip Kalu Visits Abia
- Orji Kalu has intensified the lobby to drag Abia state governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, to the All Progressives Congress (APC)
- Governor Ikpeazu was elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the last general election
- There have been speculations that the governor is planning to dump his party ahead of the next election
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Umuobiakwa, Abia - Amid defection rumour, the chief whip of the Senate, Orji Uzor Kalu, on Friday, January 7, met with Abia state governor, Okezie Ikpeazu.
The Nation reports that Ikpeazu received Kalu at his Umuobiakwa country home in Obinngwa local government area of Abia state.
Source: Facebook
Legit.ng reports that this was disclosed in a statement by Kalu’s media office in Abuja, adding that Ikpeazu alongside his aides and personal staff who were already waiting for Kalu’s coming, received the Senate’s chief whip who arrived at the governor’s mansion at exactly 1:32 pm.
The statement said:
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“Kalu who was accompanied by his retinue of aides and security staff disembarked from his official SUV and advanced to exchange greetings with the Abia governor who was beaming with smiles on sighting the Senate chief whip.
“Immediately after their cordial greetings, Ikpeazu led Orji Kalu and his personal aides straight to his lounge. Shortly after another brief episode of pleasantries, the duo proceeded with the exemption of their aides into the inner room for a private meeting."
The statement further noted that the visit of the former Governor Orji Kalu who is regarded as the father of Abia politics comes just a week after the Abia state visited President Muhammadu Buhari on December 30, 2021, which fueled speculations that he intends to join the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Why people believe Ikpeazu wants to dump PDP
It noted that many people believe the visit was connected with his rumoured intention to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The statement also stated:
“Furthermore, the unexpected visit also comes less than a week after the Peoples Democratic Party stakeholders in Arochukwu local government council, affirmed Orji Kalu’s political supremacy, declaring the former governor as their leader and father of Abia politics.
“According to records during his tenure as Governor, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu introduced the current Abia Governor to politics, who prior to his becoming Governor was a lecturer at the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) Enugu, after which Kalu appointed him as his Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Education, followed by other subsequent appointments.
“Also, Ikpeazu’s predecessor, Theodore Orji, a native of Umuahia Ibeku, was drafted into politics by Orji Kalu as his Chief of Staff when Kalu was Governor of the state. TA Orji remained in the position throughout Kalu’s eight years in office. Orji Kalu ensured that TA Orji succeeded him in 2007 and also governed the state for eight years, which ended in 2015."
PDP reacts after Buhari's visit to Governor Ikpeazu
Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) debunked the speculations that Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia state was planning to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
It was reported that there were speculations in the social media about the governor’s plan to dump his party, PDP, for the ruling APC, following his visit to President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday, December 30.
The PDP’s national publicity secretary, Debo Ologunagba, described the purported defection speculations as one of the rumours of the season.
Source: Legit.ng
