FORMER governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter
Obi, has reacted to Monday’s comments by
Nigerian Ambassador to Spain and wife of Dim
Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Mrs Bianca
Ojukwu, following his recent defection to People’s
Democratic Party, PDP,, where she expressed
shock and disappointment among others, over the
defection from All Progressives Grand Alliance,
APGA, to PDP.
In an interview granted a national newspaper (not
Vanguard) of Monday, 20thn October, 2014 by
Nigerian Ambassador to Spain and wife of Dim
Chukwuemeka Odumegwu- Mrs. Ojukwu, had
said, inter alia, “It is undeniable that Peter Obi
made immense contributions to APGA. I remain
proud of his achievements, as governor of
Anambra State. His exit diminishes us, and many
of his supporters and grassroots crusaders are
disappointed and demoralised”.
Mrs Ojukwu also described the action of the
former governor as a betrayal of her late husband
and renowned Igbo leader, Dim Chukwuemeka
Odumegwu Ojukwu who had such great trust in
him and his assurances that he, Obi, would
always stand by APGA.
But reacting, Obi, who had so far ignored all
comments made about his political decision
opened up by pointing out that Bianca Ojukwu
was not a frivolous person and that her
comments must be taken seriously moreso, when
he was the wife of his leader. .
Speaking to the newsmen, Obi said this response
would be his last on the matter to enable him
channel his time and energy alongside other well-
meaning Igbos to work for the re-election
campaign of President Goodluck Jonathan and
the place of Ndigbo in the Nigerian politics.
He said Of all those who have spoken, and who
continue to speak, on the issue of my leaving
APGA, only Bianca spoke with sincerity. She does
not fall into the class of those who are now
displaying dated video clippings and presenting
matters out of context for political reasons,
without appreciating the sacrifice put into building
the House they are now destroying.
I want to have it on record that Bianca was right
when she reported my exchange with the Ikemba
when he called me and asked whether I would
leave APGA, after the events of Abia State at that
time, when the Governor left APGA for reasons I
believe to be genuine.
“I wish to reiterate that I am still loyal to our
great leader, in terms of what serves the interests
of our people and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Everyone knows today that APGA is not what it
used to be. My assurance to our great leader did
not imply that I would be loyal to a platform that
some people have resolved to turn into an empty
shell without an inner core of shared values. I
remain faithful to those values and principles our
great leader asked me to stand by and defend”.
Obi insists that time would reveal whether the
APGA of today is still propagating the late
leader’s core principles. Obi said that he had
seen enough of violation of what APGA stood
for, and therefore cannot continue to stay in a
place which had departed from the original course
and where clearly he was no wanted.
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