Determined to sooth frayed nerves arising from the recent PDP primaries, Governor Theodore Ahamefule Orji of Abia State has inaugurated a seven-member Peace and Reconciliatory Committee headed by a former senator.Inaugurating the committee led by Ike Nwachukwu at Government House, Umuahia, on Monday, Mr. Orji said the move had become necessary as it was pertinent for the party to go along with everybody to win in the April elections.
He said that the party cannot afford to go to the crucial election as a divided body because the stakes would be high, adding that those who lost in the internal battle will not be allowed to lick their wounds alone.He enjoined the committee to reach out to all aggrieved members of PDP in the state with a view to identifying their grievances and reconciling them for a formidable PDP, while advising the aggrieved to accept the olive branch and shelve any idea of defecting to other parties, as such an action would be regretted in the end.”There is no point defecting to another party because by the time you come back, you will have to queue up. I once left but came back though as governor; not every one may have that privilege,” Mr. Orji said.
Mr. Nwachukwu, the committee chairman, thanked the governor for considering them fit for the responsibility, and pledged to justify the confidence reposed in them. He said the governor had taken a bold step in uniting the state by coming back to the PDP.Members of the committee are former Senate president, Adolphus Wabara; Uzodimma Okpara; commissioner for justice, Ume Kalu; Endurance Okechukwu Philips; Uzo Azubuike; and Ngozi Onyioha- Orji.
Though the exercise, which returned majority of the serving lawmakers is still disputed in some constituencies, the primaries for the House of Representatives, senatorial, as well as the governorship positions, were reportedly transparent.
Some of those who lost in the primaries left with annoyance, alleging that they were short changed by the party by returning those who had served more than they had agreed in their internal zoning arrangement.
