HARVEST OF DECAMPESS FOR PDP DELTA STATE

By FIDELIS EGUGBO

THE ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State recently witnessed what can best be described as a harvest of more followers, when more than 2,000 members of the Democratic People’s Party (DPP), decamped to it.  This happened recently in Asaba where the DPP was very strong as a result of the local government elections in which Mr. Nwanze Oduah was the party’s flagbearer.
Mr. Oduah led the decampees in a ceremony which was well attended by prominent politicians in the local government area including, the wife of the immediate past National Chairman of the PDP, Chief (Mrs.) Mariam Alli. Really, politics is a game of numbers and the PDP in Delta State have the number but with the decamping of more people from the few opposition political parties in the state, there is no doubt that Delta State, in the next few months will have no other political party apart from the PDP and where they exist, they will have less than 20 persons as members.
During the exercise, Mr. Oduah who was a staunch member of the PDP before he joined the DPP, said it was important for the PDP to be without opposition so that its members, especially those holding political offices, could be free to implement their programmes.
He observed that Oshimili South local government area was waxing stronger politically, with (Dr.) Mrs. Mariam Alli, a PDP stalwart, uniting all politicians and attracting those not interested in politics to join the PDP, saying that every good politician in the local government area deserve to join the PDP because of the good leadership being provided by Mrs. Alli.
Mr. Oduah added that it was his belief too to join hands with those who were holding political offices at the state and local government levels to attract development to the people because his intention, as a politician, had always been to uplift the people’s standard of living and empower the youth but that with him remaining in the opposition, he would not be in a position to achieve that but would not also, be part of those who are doing what he believes in.
It was really an emotion-laden declaration as he made his speech shortly dancing round the venue of the declaration exercise with former members of the DPP who decamped with him. The choice of the famous Ogbeke Square, Asaba, for the declaration exercise was also, symbolic because it was at the square that he declared formarly to vie for the chairmanship position of the local government on the platform of the DPP.
Mrs. Alli, at that occasion said Mr. Oduah was never seen as a DPP follower and his formal return to the PDP was rejoining a family he rightfully belonged to observing that the PDP was a large family that was accommodating and united in empowering the women and the youth and ensuring that dividends of democracy get to all Nigerians.
Delta North Senatorial Candidate of the PDP emphasized that politics was about number and it was important for everybody in the local government area to be under the umbrella party, disclosing that there was something good for every PDP member.  There is no doubt that since her being accepted as their leader, many people have joined the PDP while those who felt that they could get elected into political offices if they left the PDP had since rejoined the party in the local government area.
Such persons who have rejoined the party after leaving it to contest elections on other political parties’ platforms include the Action Congress candidate for the House of Assembly elections, Mr. Obi Iyio, and his National Democratic Party (NDP), counterpart, Hon. Uche Uraih. 
Also, Mr. Anthony Onyia who was also moved his followers in the PDP to Action Congress, in his support for Mr. Obi Iyio, has also rejoined the PDP and they did not only join the PDP but moved their followers and other converts into the party, making the PDP stronger in size.
Those who spoke during the decamping of the DPP members were of strong view that the role Mrs. Alli was playing in the political front was in a great way, helping the fortunes of the party.  Some of those who spoke at the occasion included the member representing Oshimili South in the state House of Assembly, Hon. Eugene Okonkwo, Chief Peter Nwoboshi, the Chairman of the PDP in the state who was represented at the occasion by Chief Edwin Uzor, the Commissioner in charge of Special Duties, Government House, Asaba, Hon. Onochie Okonkwo, the local government chairman of the party, Chief Chibuzor Uwaje, and the chairman of the local government, Hon. Izuka Okolo.
According to Hon. Okonkwo, the return of the DPP members was of great significance as it shows that pockets of opposition parties in the local government area had been wiped out.  He observed that the PDP-led government in the state and at the federal level, were doing well, nobody wants to be in opposition, observing that without opposition political parties in Oshimili South, the people would fare better in receiving the dividends of democracy.
To Chief Peter Nwoboshi who was represented at the occasion, the entire PDP executive was happy with the development, he asserted that it will encourage the PDP government to do more for the people, while Hon. Onochie Okonkwo reiterated that with the move of the DPP members, PDP in the local government area would not only be stronger but would be more united.
Hon. Okonkwo noted that the Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan administration had good programmes that would impact positively on all Deltans and as Asaba is the state capital, there was no need of having opposition political parties in the town.  He commended Mrs. Alli for the motherly role she was playing to ensure that all PDP members in the local government area were united and had one objective.
The Chairman of the local government area, Mr. Izuka Okolo, who was strongly rattled by the candidature of Mr. Oduah in the DPP said it was good that Mr. Oduah had rejoined the PDP and disclosed that the DPP was the main opposition party during the last local government elections because of the carriage and followership of Mr. Oduah. 
He also thanked Mrs. Alli for showing great interest in the activities of the party, noting that with her presence in the political scene, the youths, the elders and women were having good sense of belonging in politics.
Others who spoke at the occasion which was spiced up by the traditional musician, Bielose Obaah, lauded Mr. Oduah and other DPP members for coming back to the PDP. 
With the last perceived major opposition party members moving emmasse to the PDP, there was no doubt that the programmes of the PDP-led government of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan was making positive impacts in the lives of the people. 
Knowing the PDP too, one would not categorically state that without the opposition, the PDP would be doing things unchallenged because the opposition within the PDP has ensured that the party emerges stronger in whatever it was involved in.