who were said to pay him a visit to persuade him.Led by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekwerumadu, the delegation also had Deputy Speaker, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha; Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim Pius and the Chairman of the South-East Governors’ Forum and Governor of Abia State, Chief Theodore Orji.Others are Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Dr. Godswill Akpabio; former Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo; former Senate President Adolphus Wabara, Senators Uche Chukwumerije, Emma Anosike, Hope Uzodinma,Ben Obi, Igwe Paulinus and Mrs. Kema Chikwe.
Yet others are members of the House of Representatives and ministers from South East.
Stating their mission earlier, National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, represented by the publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, said the visit was as a result of the resolution by the entire South-East to pay him a visit and persuade Obi to join the PDP for more meaningful contribution to national affairs.
Metuh, who said that PDP only lost election in the East owing to Peter Obi’s integrity, forthrightness, hardwork, honesty, which had made the people to love him and to be willing to follow him at all times.
Citing the recent joining of the PDP by Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State, Metuh said time was ripe for Obi to also join.
Speaking, at the meeting, Governor Akpabio restated that the PDP always lost in Anambra because of Obi, saying he wished they met Obi before the governorship election in Anambra, so that he would join and deliver the state to PDP.
He said it was not late for Obi to join the PDP and work at the centre, for the good of the country, while describing the former governor as a man of integrity, who would be an asset to the country at the centre.
The governor told Obi and his wife to be proud of themselves, saying: “If some of your people do not believe in you, if we do not admire you, if they do not realise your potentials, we gathered here to tell you that Nigerians believe in you and admire you.”
Governor Orji, on his part, said: “We are here today to discuss to future and progress of the South-East geopolitical zone with our brother, Mr. Peter Obi, who was the immediate Governor of Anambra State. Having reviewed with him the state of the country and how it affects our people, we came to the conclusion that our interest in the country is better served when we remain together as brothers and sister under one party and speak with one voice, which Obi has championed over the years. We all agreed that politics globally is dynamic and changes from time to time.
“In Nigeria, for example, we have moved from regional parties to regional politics, which requires our people staying together and speaking with one voice. We in the East should do the same in the interest of our people. We therefore, appealed to him to join the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), since that is the party majority of our people belong”
The Abia governor said Obi was the type of person the PDP needs to move on because of his integrity, saying it was not everybody that the leadership of an organisation would be united in wooing to join the party.
Contributing, Deputy Senate President, Senator Ekweremadu said Obi, even when in the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), extended hands of friendship to everybody that would contribute to the development of Anambra State.
He said that Obi’s demonstration of leadership, integrity, his friendship with President Goodluck Jonathan and commitment to Nigeria prompted them to come and appeal to him to join the PDP.
Also speaking, Deputy Speaker, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, said the decision to come and appeal to Obi to join the PDP was a collective one occasioned by how importantly Nigerians take the former governor.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim, on his part, said he was optimistic the forum would end up convincing Obi to make definite pronouncement, insisting that the delegation would not, in fact, leave his house until he joined the PDP.
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