Uduaghan: Why I Dumped PDP for APC

Omololu Ogunmade in Abuja

Former Governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, wednesday claimed that he dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for All Progressives Congress (APC) because of APC rule of engagement and investment in infrastructure.

Uduaghan, who made this disclosure in Abuja while speaking with journalists in the State House after attending the APC caucus meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, said he was fascinated by the development that Niger Delta region had witnessed under the administration of Buhari.

The former governor further said he was attracted to the party because the federal government took up the crises it met in Niger Delta, noting that the region is characterised with a range of crises which he said he devoted a lot of time to address when he was in office.

He also claimed that his defection was predicated on his interest in the development of Niger Delta which he said the APC government had been championing, adding that the APC would further give him the platform to pursue such interest.

“Politics is about interest. I’m from the Niger Delta area, and I managed a lot of crises from the Niger Delta. Sometimes, I went to the creeks and engaged the boys, and my principle when I was managing the Niger Delta was out of engagement, and the current APC government succeeded in managing them through engagement.

“The president saw a lot of leaders from the Niger Delta while the vice-president went from state to state of oil producing area making a lot of engagements, and agreements were reached.

“Nobody at that level had gone from state to state before in Nigeria, this was the first time, and of course the crisis is not over yet, they need to be supported by those of us from the Niger Delta who are passionate about the region so that in moving forward, we can have solutions to the crisis in the area. If a new person comes in, he would start putting agreement up again and all that.

“Secondly, in the area of infrastructure, this government has done very well. Talking about my state, for the first time a rail line came to Delta State; for the first time, a committee has been officially inaugurated for the gas city which we have been talking about, also we have human capital development projects, school feeding among others in the Niger Delta.

“So, let me join the party in order to effect changes because we cannot achieve anything by working from the outside in the region. Some of us have to join the APC train and many people are going to come with me so that we can achieve a lot in the region for the APC government. Politics is about regional interest and I’m interested in the Niger Delta,” he stated.