Many PDP Leaders In Delta State Have Agreed To Join APC Soon – Uduaghan

Former governor of Delta state, Emmanuel Uduaghan on Wednesday said he is joining the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to join hands with President Muhammadu Buhari in doing more for the people of the Niger Delta.

He also said he is joining the party as ‘John The Baptist’ who will prepare the grounds for numerous sons of the Niger Delta who will soon join the APC.

In a statement titled ‘Moving On To The Bigger Playing Field’, Uduaghan said President Buhari has shown commitment to developing the Niger Delta region and ensuring peace since coming to office and as such needs the support of all well-meaning Nigerians who have the interest of the region at heart.

While thanking PDP leaders who urged him to remain in the party on whose platform he served as governor of Delta tate for two terms, Uduaghan who is seeking to represent Delta South in the Senate said having explained the deeper issues, some of the PDP leaders have agreed to join APC in the near future.

The full statement reads: ” The toughest challenge for any leader in the Niger Delta since 1997 has been the issue of Peace and Security. For over 12 years, I was deeply involved in the management of the issues of the region, first as Secretary to State Government, SSG, and then as Governor of Delta State for 8 years. Strategically, we had ENGAGEMENT as our major tool.

This involved government officials, with me in the forefront (sometimes personally going into the creeks without security at nocturnal hours), community leaders, traditional rulers, religious leaders, our youths, retired military officers, activists, etc. Of course, ensuring that Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, was active was also part of the engagement process.

ENCOURAGING INTERESTS, ACTIVITIES

Since the inception of the current All Progressives Congress, APC, administration at the federal level, there has been an encouraging interest and activities by President Muhammadu Buhari to bring a permanent solution to the Niger Delta crisis. This has pointed in a direction that is at once progressive and developmental.
Topmost in these activities are the ENGAGEMENT PROCESSES. Rather than using the military to harass our people, the Buhari administration has embarked on various engagement processes that have led to agreements and brought hope to the people of the Niger Delta.

In the last years, Mr. President has personally engaged several regional leaders and youths. Senior officials of his administration also engaged many Niger Delta leaders and youths. Very significant is that Mr. President mandated the Vice President Prof Yemi Osinbajo SAN, to visit virtually all the oil producing states, engaging various stakeholders. This is unprecedented in the history of the region. Such engagement processes have brought some measure of peace in the Niger Delta. Things can only get better.

Beyond the engagement processes, however, the Buhari administration has embarked on some infrastructural and human capital development activities in the region.

In Delta State, the opening of a Maritime University; the setting up of a steering committee for the EPZ (GAS CITY), the plan for a deep sea port, the dredging of the Escravos-Warri River; the opening of the railway line to Delta Steel Company, the soon to be flagged off, by Mr. President, the Omadino-Escravos Road that will pass through many riverine communities; the various road construction works by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the various TCN projects across the State are some of the positive activities in the region.

I have, therefore, after series of consultations and prayers, taken the decision to leave the PDP and join the APC. In doing this, I want to thank the numerous leaders, supporters and interest groups that have been urging me to remain in PDP. I am happy that after explaining some of the deeper issues to you, some of you that are politicians have agreed to join the APC in the near future. So I am going into APC as “John the Baptist” to the numerous Deltans that are coming in, soon – very soon.