By Austin Ogwuda
THE daughter of former Delta State Governor, Chief James Ibori, Hon. (Mrs) Erthiatake Ibori-Suenu, representing Ethiope Federal Constituency, Federal House of Representatives has, at last, finally dumped the Peoples Democratic Party PDP which his father helped to build.
A letter she addressed to the Chairman, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Ethiope West Local Government Area of Delta State, dated today 5th December 2024 reads in part:
“Please my resignation was foisted on me by my complete exclusion by the State chapter of the party and by the lingering national leadership crisis which has riven the party into implacable camps”.
Her defection has long been expected following the power play between his father, Chief James Ibori and the immediate past governor of Delta State, Senator Arthur Okowa in the build-up to the 2023 elections.
Ibori had rooted for a seasoned technocrat, David Edevbie to succeed Senator Okowa but Okowa himself had preference – Rt. Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, whom he (Okowa) as a sitting governor ensured he, Oborevwori got the party’s ticket as well as ensuring that he scaled through and became the governor under his watch.
It later became obvious that there was a spirited attempt to stop Mrs Erthiatake Ibori-Suenu’s election to the national Assembly using the PDP structure resulting to anti party activities by the party leaders.
As if that was not enough her father was obviously denied a chance to have input in the last PDP Ward and LG congresses, which was a clear assumption that the sour relationship between ex governor Okowa and by extension, incumbent governor Sheriff Oborevwori might have degenerated to the point of no return for now.
….. LP loses 4 House of Reps Members to APC
Similarly, four members of the Labour Party (LP) in the House of Representatives have decamped to All Progressives Congress APC.
Speaker of the House, Abbas Tajudeen, announced the defections of the Lawmakers including that of Ibori’s daughter during Thursday’s plenary.
The defected LP Lawmakers are : Tochukwu Chinedu Okere (Imo), Donatus Matthew (Kaduna), Akiba Bassey (Cross River) and Esosa Iyawe (Edo).
….LP leadership threatens to recall them
In a sharp reaction, the National Publicity Secretary of Labour Party, Obiora Ifoh, in a press statement on Thursday stated that “Though, the Labour Party leadership is undaunted by the defection, it has however, elected not to allow it slide and has therefore instructed its legal team to commence the legal actions against the defectors and to also commence the process of regaining our mandates in line with the 1999 Constitution and 2022 Electoral Act as Amended.
“The party will also approach the Speaker of the House of Representatives to declare vacant the seats occupied by these former Labour Party members in line with the House Rules. It is inappropriate and unacceptable for the these lawmakers to continue to function as representatives of their constituencies illegally.
“The party has also decided to open a ‘Hall of Shame’ register for these lawmakers or any lawmaker or elected officer of the party who engages in fraudulent act of defection without first dropping the mandate gotten under the ticket of the party.
“The following lawmakers include 1. Senator Francis Ezenwa Onyewuchi (Imo East) 2. Reps Bassey Akiba (Calabar Municipality/ Odukpani Federal Constituency) 3. Reps Tochukwu Okere (Owerri Federal Constituency), 4. Reps. Donatus Mathew (Kaura Federal Constituency.), 5. Reps Iyawe Esosa (Oredo Federal Constituency) and Daulyop Fom (Plateau). These lawmakers will feature prominently in the register.
“On that note”, the statement went on, “we will call on Nigerians to beware of these genre of politicians lacking in clear democratic ideology and ethos rather than ‘Jumpology’ ideology; jumping from one party to the other, in disregard to the enabling laws and without any ideological leaning.
“If we really want this democracy to thrive, we must isolate these political merchants and opportunists and help bury their mercantilist political enterprise by snubbing, affronting and rejecting them in future polls having exhibited grave level of character deficit by betraying public trust”
*Photo caption: Ibori’s daughter being received in Abuja shortly after decamping from PDP
