17th January, 2014
Governor Theodore Orji of the eastern Nigerian state of Abia said the political gang up against Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and President Goodluck Jonathan, ahead of the 2015 general elections would not succeed.
Orji said this when he interacted in Umuahia on Friday with newsmen on the political manoeuvres by some past leaders to stop Jonathan’s second term presidential ambition.
He did not name those involved in the gang-up, but political observers said Governor Orji certainly had the leadership of the All Progressives Congress in focus.
“There will be gang up but they will never succeed. The president remained focused,’’ he said.
He explained that the party was getting stronger and stronger; there was a lot of re-engineering presently going on in the party.
Orji expressed the hope that defectors from the party would soon return, adding that new members would also join the party.
The governor commended the resignation of the former National Chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, and described it as patriotic and a sacrifice to move the party forward.
He also commended the immediate past Chief of Army staff, Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, for serving the nation meritoriously.
Orji said that the president had the prerogative to re-engineer his service chiefs ahead of 2015.
“President Jonathan has done the right thing, we are nearing election and he has to put his house in order. The president has the prerogative to appoint whoever he likes,’’ he said.