Former Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Roland Owie says those defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to All Progressives Congres (APC) do not mean well for the country.
He said this in an interview with Sunday Vanguard.
The PDP chieftain was commenting on the fact that three governors, some senators and members of the House of Representatives had defected from the party to APC in recent times.
Owie said that most of the defectors did not have grassroots support.
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“The truth is that a number of them defecting don’t have the grassroots with them. Take Edo State as an example, there is no person in the rural area today, especially in Edo South, who will declare for APC because farmers no longer go to farm.
“Their economic life is destroyed. Those defecting don’t mean well. They are doing it for self-protection.Look at Governor Ayade of Cross River State, for 36 months he didn’t pay judges’ salaries. At a point, there was a problem between him and the Catholic community in the state,” he said.
Asked to speak on PDP’s chances of winning the 2023 presidency, Owie said, “I want to let you know that as we are talking today, the only alternative that will bring this country back from the brink is the PDP.
“Mistakes were made. Whatever you will say of Obasanjo regime, he ensured that Nigeria exited its indebtedness. If that was the only thing he did, it was good for this nation even though he also contributed to what we are facing today by allowing Sharia to stay.
“Now, we are more indebted because APC is an association of angry people.
“They are not from the same stock. APC lacks cohesion, unlike the PDP where you still see cohesion.
“I can tell you that an ordinary person at home will not vote APC in 2023.”
He urged the PDP to present a reasonable candidate for the presidency in 2023.
“We need a candidate that will be acceptable to Nigerians.
“For instance, Yar’Adua spent two and a half years but he brought peace to this nation.
“He agreed that his election was faulty. He agreed there was need for restructuring. He addressed the crisis in the Niger Delta. But people are being kidnapped today and you think Nigerians will vote APC in 2023?” Owie queried.