Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State has again pledged his allegiance to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Ikpeazu, who was responding to a call by the President of the Nigerian Senate, Ahmed Lawan to join the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), said he (Ikpeazu) is a bishop with many disciples in the opposition party.
Tracknews Online reports that Sen. Lawan was in Abia State on Thursday for the official commissioning of Enyimba Automated Shoe Company at Obikabia, Obingwa Local government area of the state.
The Yobe State lawmaker had during his visit to Abia asked Ikpeazu to dump PDP for APC.
Governor Ikpeazu, however, responded by saying that he is comfortable being a member of the opposition party.
Ikpeazu stressed that his commitment to PDP is unshaken, maintaining that he remains with the party to continue unrelentingly in providing dividends of democracy to the people of Abia state.
The governor said he was not surprised by the call by Lawan, considering his political stature.
Ikpeazeu said: “I don’t have any plans of joining the APC. I have tremendous respect for the Senate President whom I consider to be a solid democrat and a decent gentleman.
“His visit to Abia State today is very special to us. His appeal to me to join the progressives is expected from a politician of his stature.”
“The truth is that I am a Bishop in the PDP with a large Cathedral and followership. As a matter of fact, I want to see how I can convince the Senate President to join me in the PDP, instead of me joining him in the APC”, he submitted.
Tracknews Online understands that Lawan was accompanied during the visit to the Abia State by the Senate Chief Whip, Senator Orji and other notable principal officers of the Senate.
