PDP is dead, I have to tell my people the truth – Chime

Sullivan Chime who is a former governor of Enugu state has declared that the Peoples Democratic Party is dead and that anyone still there doesn’t know what he or she is doing.

The former governor who was in power for eight years on the platform of the PDP also defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress a few weeks ago and was on hand to receive over 1000 new defectors.

The former governor spoke on Saturday, May 19 when a former Commissioner for Culture and Tourism in Enugu State, Chief Joe Mmamel, defected to the APC.

Mmamel was received by his ward chairman of the APC, Chidozie Uchenna; state chairman, Dr Ben Nwoye; national vice chairman (South-East), Chief Emma Enukwu and Chime.

Mmamel said he joined the APC because his local government was in dire need of development and that he made the decision so that it benefited from new uplift.

“It is sad that the PDP is dead. Therefore, we need to align ourselves with a political party that will bring visible development to our people. “We are going to a political party that will receive and help us to realise our dreams.”

Chime who spoke later said it was necessary for those still in the PDP to forge a new path. The former governor said having been in the PDP for a long time, he could tell that the party was now dead. He said his conscience would not rest until he tells his people the truth.

He said: “The PDP we all belonged to is dead. If I fail to tell you, my conscience will judge me. One of the factional chairmen of the party even advised his followers recently to contest elections elsewhere.

“APC came into existence and barely one year after they dethroned the PDP. No matter how strong you are if death comes you must go and that was a lot for PDP.

“The party was strong nationally in 2015 because those of us in the states were strong. But it is now dead.

“If you see any PDP member pray for such person because they do not know what they are doing. “They will come to you because they don’t have alternative and you should not laugh at them when they come.”

Meanwhile, Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu described former Enugu state governor, Chime, as a political novice. Ekweremadu made this known while addressing Chime’s kinsmen, under the aegis of Udi Consultative Forum.

It was gathered that Chime’s kinsmen visited the Enugu state governor’s lodge to disown Chime for leaving the PDP for the APC.

They pledged their loyalty to Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu state, Ekweremadu, and others elected on the platform of the PDP. Addressing Chime’s kinsmen, Ekweremadu noted that Chime’s decision to leave PDP was borne out of inexperience.

He noted that two other former governors in the state, who left PDP in the past (Chief Jim Nwobodo and Dr. Chimaraoke Nnamani), have not been able to recover from the consequences of their decision.

He said: “The problem is that our former governor (Chime) does not have sufficient experience in politics.

“If you watch what happened in Udi on Saturday (rally held to welcome Chime to APC), no APC senator came, no APC member of the House of Representatives was there.

The only governor that came there from Sokoto State (Aminu Tambuwal) was only passing by.”