The Delta Central Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) organised a mega rally at the Sapele Township Stadium on Friday, June 23.
Two political bigwigs, Chief Paulinus Akpeki and Hon. Evans Ivwurie, were among those who dumped their parties in favour of the PDP.
In this piece, JOSHUA ERUBAMI comments on the much ado that have greeted the development.
The last few days have been the one of countless social media notifications, a high fraction of which are centered on the recently held Mega Rally of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) hosted by the Central Senatorial District of Delta State.
Two political bigwigs, Chief Paulinus Akpeki and Hon. Evans Ivwurie, were among those who dumped their parties in favour of the PDP.
In this piece, JOSHUA ERUBAMI comments on the much ado that have greeted the development.
The last few days have been the one of countless social media notifications, a high fraction of which are centered on the recently held Mega Rally of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) hosted by the Central Senatorial District of Delta State.
At the rally held in Sapele, scores of people (most of whom were party faithfuls) defied the rains to clearly reiterate their support for the Governor Ifeanyi Okowa's administration.
Quite interestingly, some politicians decamped from their parties in favour of the ruling PDP.
Since the defection that took place yesterday (June 23), the social media has been awash with 'this one said this, that one said that' type of posts.
Observably, yesterday's decamping activity focused on two major players: Chief Paulinus Akpeki, a former Chief of Staff (COS) to the Delta State Government, and Hon. Evans Ivwurie, the law maker representing Ethiope East Constituency in the State House of Assembly (DTHA).
Others were either mere followers or spectators at the defection segment of the event that offered nothing outside the box. This is why I am pained by the too much ado being accorded the event.
PDP stakeholders at the mega rally held in Sapele
Firstly, the latter decampee, Hon. Evans Ivwurie, had since announced his intentions to dump the Labour Party for the PDP.
He actually renounced his membership in a letter that was addressed to the recently sacked Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Monday Igbuya. The letter was well publicised in the mass and social media.
It was therefore a stale news (or dead story, as it is termed in journalistic parlance) for him to announce his defection again!
On the other side, Chief Paulinus Akpeki is one of the many politicians in Delta State who are renowned for defection and political cross carpeting.
Incontrovertibly, his consistent actions adumbrate a leader whose intent and purpose are more tilted towards the self factor than group interest. This is so because selfless politicians only decamp from their parties once the ideology of such political platform changes and becomes discordant with their line of thoughts.
So, if Akpeki actually dumped the PDP due to his perceived ideological incongruence, then his comeback is unjustifiable since the PDP is yet to effect any palpable ideological change.
In an effort to justify his defection then, Akpeki had said: "PDP as at today in Delta state is a party that has become a conglomerate of family and friends’ government. Looking at it the way it is set up now,... It is either you are a family member or you are a member of a family, who is a friend to a big shot in PDP without who there is nothing
for you."
But as the Delta State Chairman of the Accord Party, Comrade David Ashikodi once put it, and those who defect from parties without recourse to ideological differences do so in a pragmatic response to stomach infrastructure.
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After Akpeki failed to get a 'due' recognition (perhaps through appointment) from the current administration that has shown its penchant for political appointments, Akpeki dumped the PDP for the All Progressive Congress (APC).
Irked by such selfish move, Rt. Hon. Monday Igbuya (who coincidentally represents Akpeki in the DTHA) described the defection as "a good riddance to a bad rubbish".
But the unperturbed Akpeki vowed to bring the PDP to its knees by 2019. In a detailed interview published on Vanguard newspaper, the erstwhile COS boasted that the change mantra of the APC must sweep through each and every office at the 2019 polls.
Chief Paulinus Akpeki
But as events turned out to be yesterday, Akpeki, just like a typical dog, returned to his vomit and licked the boots of the same party he once derided and wished dead.
As it has been projected, the Okowa administration may soon reward him with an appointment, just as it rewarded the fierce opposition stance of Barr. Fred Latimore who perennially took the current administration to the cleaners until his appointment letter was signed and handed over to him.
The reality is that if Akpeki doesn't get what he wants, he won't hesitate to tear his PDP membership card again.
The Okowa fold may celebrate the confidence vote it got at the event, but the Akpeki factor still stalks like a ghost in the night.
This is the reason I see the ongoing celebration as a concentrate of noise and victory. But who will separate both?
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