From Owen Akenzua, Asaba
Delta State Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu has dismissed concerns that Nigeria is slipping into a one-party state, following the mass defection of members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Speaking during an interview, Aniagwu explained that the defection of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and members of Delta PDP to the APC was not from a position of weakness, but that of strength.
He likened remaining in the PDP to a brilliant student stuck in a department without accreditation from relevant regulatory bodies.
Drawing an analogy from the banking consolidation under former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, he said “in 2005, during the banking consolidation led by then CBN Governor, Charles Soludo, banks were required to have a minimum of N25 billion in capital.
“Initially, there were 25 banks that met the threshold, the number shrank to 23. But today, the number has grown again. In politics, as in banking, growth leads to realignment and more like-minded individuals will find each other.”
He stressed that political ideology is not formed overnight.
“In Delta State, many of the people we are meeting in the APC today were once members of the PDP. So this is not just a realignment of forces, it is a family reunion,” the commissioner added.
Aniagwu emphasised that political parties exist for the purpose of contesting elections, forming government and delivering governance to the people.
Referencing the 2019 Zamfara experience where the APC lost all its electoral victories due to internal party irregularities, Aniagwu said: “We took this decision in the best interest of our people. We did not want a situation where we win elections only to be disqualified due to administrative lapses from the party’s national leadership. That is what happened in Zamfara and we chose to avoid that risk.”
