A staunch member of the Labour Party (LP) in Enugu state, Barr. Ogochukwu Onyema, popularly known as OAU Onyema, has deplored the recent mass defection of some party legislators to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Some members of the National Assembly and state assembly members who won under the umbrella of LP in the 2023 general elections recently cross-carpeted to PDP.
Speaking in an interview with newsmen in Enugu, Onyema, former National Vice President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, described the defectors as those looking for “peanuts.”
He said it was gluttony that would make such persons give up their people responsible representation to defect to a party that never accepted them before.
Onyema alleged that the lawmakers were associating with failure, adding that they would never get nomination for next election from PDP where selection is being done instead of election based on merit.
“It is very unfortunate, disgusting and disappointing phenomenon that those who merit and responsibility threw up, are now out of gluttony trying to associate with failure.
“Those people migrating from LP to PDP can they even get nomination in PDP? Did PDP accept them ab initio? It is because of peanuts.
“I was in PDP when we won election that produced Peter Mbah and I said I am leaving PDP. I said they should not give me appointment, let me chart my own course,” he said.
Onyema who would not overtly disclose his ambition for 2027 said he was disappointed several times in PDP when he unsuccessfully tried thrice to go to the House of Representatives as well as Senate to no avail, without securing nomination to consummate his ambition.
He however, disclosed that he might switch over to SDP should the former LP presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, move over to SDP which he described as “emerging party.”
The Ohanaeze chieftain spoke glowingly of Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu state, saying that he is doing well.
He said Mbah was his friend because he has the same proactive disposition like himself, and lauded him for many development projects he has embarked on.
“If you want me to tell you about His Excellency, Ndubisi Mbah, I say to you that whoever does the way I do, I’ll call my good friend. I admire his leadership style and each time I see his choice of projects, I smile within myself. I say this is a proactive man. This man is a man of strategic thinking. This is a man that is futuristic,” he said.