From Felix Ikem, Nsukka
Former Peoples Democratic Party, PDP chieftain in Enugu state, Hon. Sabastine Ezema has said that the Igbos can no longer sustain their being in opposition party at the national level.
Hon. Ezema made the declaration at the weekend in his speech during his defection from PDP to All Progressives Party (APC) at Edem-Ani ward, in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State.
According to him, “the Igbos cannot continue to put their eggs in one basket. We must learn to follow the trend of time, politically and economically. Politics is all about the betterment of people’s lot. We the Igbos need to register our relevance in the central government. We cannot do that by folding our hands, but by joining the ruling party, APC.”
However, in a chat with Daily Sun, Hon. Ezema stressed that “I have decided to join the ruling party, APC considering the yearning of my people for change and also what I discovered that APC is the only party that can give me soft landing to actualize my political dreams. It is true that PDP is in control of Enugu state. However, let us not loose sight with the fact that APC is in control of Federal government. PDP is a party in opposition at the national level. For this reason, I came to reason with the fact that it is better for me to play the national politics than state politics.”
Asked what political post he will be vying for in the next general election, Hon. Ezema said that “for now, I am yet to make it public. But be rest assured that when the time comes, the public will be aware. I am not sure of any of the posts. It God that determines all those things. When the time comes, you will know.”
On his assessment of the state government in the last six years, Hon. Ezema stressed that “as far as I am concerned, they have done what they think that they can do. But, honestly speaking, they should try to do better. This is because even if the Federal is not doing well, that is not enough reason for the state to perform poorly. They should do better by lifting our people out of poverty by generating employment opportunity and creating an opportunity for self employment, and self actualization.”
Hon. Ezema, Nsukka West House of Assembly aspirant under the platform of PDP in the 2019 general election lamented the poor performance of PDP in the state, stressing that APC will surely take over the state in the 2023 to give the people their long desired democracy dividends.
He, however enjoined all his supporters to join the APC in order to actualize their dream for good governance and democracy dividends.
Hon. Chima Eze, the APC chairman of Edem Ani ward in his remark expressed the party’s happiness over the new membership of Hon. Ezema.
“Today is a special day in the history of APC in this state. Today Hon. Ezema formally joined APC. I call this a triumphant entry. His joining of our party APC will surely have a knock on effect on other people who are nursing the ambition to join the ruling party. We will give him all the necessary support he may need in the course of his political career in APC. APC is happy with him and will do everything within our reach to make him actualize his political ambition.”
The high point of the occasion was the handing over of his APC membership card and a broom, the symbol of the party by the party’s ward chairman to Hon. Ezema.