Dasukigate: Nwobodo has descended into ‘food is ready’ politician – Osita Okechukwu

Reactions have continued to trail the defection of former Governor of old Anambra State, Jim Nwobodo, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State.

Nwobodo had declared for APC alongside Senator Fidelis Okoro and Richard Ozobu, at a stakeholders meeting of the party, held in La Nueva Hotel Enugu on Friday.

Reacting in a statement on Monday, Mr Osita Okechukwu, a chieftain of APC Enugu State who was in Bayelsa for the gubernatorial election and absent on the Friday Stakeholders’ meeting
recalled that they used to see
Nwobodo as a principled politician and a Zikist, but that in more than a decade he had shed his principle and descended into the arena of ‘Food is Ready’ politicians.

The statement reads further: “For instance in 2004, he led all the opposition leaders to Nwobodo’ house at Maitama Abuja, after Ikemba and Buhari’s post election tribunal sitting, with all the who is who, Ikemba Nnewi, Balarabe Musa, Olu Falae, Tunde Braithwaite, President Buhari and others.

“Nwobodo automatically became the chairman of the opposition and another meeting was scheduled.'”

“Guest what- before the meeting Nwobodo me and with his wife they declined to lead the opposition. The wife narrated how he got the advice to withdraw as that will make the then President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo to close their bank – Savanah – indefinitely. To this I told them that my study of dictators told him that if they grovel, Savanah will never come alive again. The story there is history.

“Therefore, my take on his defection into our great party, APC through the window is same with those who classified him as fugitive of justice, given his involvement in Dasukigate. One cannot blame anyone who calls him Ogbaoso 1, (a runner No 1),” Okechukwu said.

When asked why he dubbed Nwobodo’s defection as through the window, he said his investigation showed that “up to date the former Senator hasn’t registered in his ward, but was smuggled in by his allies in our party, and soul mates who connived with the PDP stalwarts in utilizing the money from Dasukigate to allocate 14,175 votes to President Buhari, which amounted to less than 3 percent of the over 15 millon votes garnered by the President.”

Reminded that the elder statesman openly said that he is not coming to take anybody’s position, he explained that they were not talking of position, but pollution of their great party, adding that Nwobodo should first cleanse himself of the Dasukigate.

“Don’t forget that the first Cardinal programme of the APC is war against corruption. It is there in our Manifesto”, he said.

Okechukwu equally dismissed claims by Nwobodo that the leadership of APC may discipline those who insinuated that the defectors are Dasukigate fugitives and food is ready politicians.

Okechukwu added some posers: “Which leadership, maybe those who not only squandered our campaign funds, but albeit are daily ignobly busy converting APC Enugu State into a department of PDP? Their imagination is that the recruitment of our elder brother and co will shield them from investigations?’

Asked if he were opposed to new members or defectors, he said, “far from it, political parties are like churches and mosques, it has open entry and don’t forget that penultimate week we received decampees at my ward in Eke.

“However, there is need to sieve and screen the defectors, before our great party is damaged irretrievably. For is it not a paradox that those who are fingered in the Dasukigate and who rigged and mangled the 2015 general elections are today wearing the virtues of principle badge?”