Emmanuel Uduaghan explains why he dumped PDP for APC

The former governor of Delta State, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan, Wednesday announced his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Uduaghan said he decided to join the ruling party because of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration’s effort in tackling the crisis in Niger Delta region.

“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,” he said in a statement titled ‘Moving On To The Bigger Playing Field’.

He said the approach by the APC-led federal government has pointed in “a direction that is at once progressive and developmental.”

Uduaghan noted that the toughest challenge for any leader in the Niger Delta region has been the issue of peace and security since 1997.

“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 eight years,” he said

“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.”

The former Governor had yesterday held a meeting with Buhari at the New Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Others who attended the meeting were the former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ali Modu-Sheriff, former Governor of Akwa Ibom State and ex- Minority Leader at the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole, national leader, Bola Tinubu, former chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Bisi Akande, and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha.