A former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ossai Nicholas Ossai, has declared that the symbol of the Peoples Democratic Party, the umbrella, is broken and on the brink of collapse.
Ossai, who represented Ndokwa East/Ndokwa West/Ukwuani in Delta State under the PDP, made the statement as he was formally welcomed into the All Progressives Congress at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja on Wednesday.
Having recently defected from the PDP to the APC, Ossai said he was inspired by the leadership and achievements of the Tinubu administration, prompting him to join the ruling party to contribute to the ongoing national transformation.
He expressed his commitment to working with APC leaders to ensure the party takes control of Delta State in the upcoming elections.
Ossai explained that after years of serving in the PDP and representing his constituency in the National Assembly for three terms, he had witnessed the disintegration of the party. He referred to the time during the Social Democratic Party era when he viewed the president as a role model, and his decision to join the APC was driven by a desire to support the president’s government.
The former lawmaker went on to state that he had joined APC alongside his supporters and had already registered as a member in his ward. He attended a senatorial meeting of the APC and formally declared his allegiance to the party, vowing to abide by its rules and constitution. He also pledged to promote the APC’s policies, including its agricultural initiatives, which he believes are benefiting Nigerians, especially in reducing food prices.
Ossai expressed his satisfaction with the party’s direction and said that he would work towards ensuring APC takes over Delta State in the 2027 elections. He added that his efforts would start with securing the APC’s victory in his local government’s House of Assembly and his federal constituency, where he had served for 12 years.
In response to Ossai’s defection, the APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, welcomed him to the party, praising the former lawmaker for abandoning what he described as the “dilapidated structure” of the PDP. Basiru commended Ossai for recognizing the achievements of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration and acknowledged the growing strength of the ruling party. He also pointed out the disarray within the opposition, particularly the PDP, which he attributed to uncoordinated ambitions and a lack of internal cohesion. He concluded by questioning the ability of a party that cannot even manage its own affairs to govern the country.
“I have been in PDP for sometime, I have been in the National Assembly as a three timer under the platform of PDP but the umbrella has broken down.
And I remember during the SDP time, the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, we see him as a role model and today, he is still my role model and when he came into governance, I have no other place than to come into APC – to work for him and to strengthen his government.
“I am here with my teeming supporters, I have gone to my ward, a card has been issued to me. I have also attended the senatorial meeting of the All Progressives Congress. I have come today to inform you that I’m in the fold now and I need your blessings.
“I am one of your foot soldiers in Delta and I have come to declare personally before you today and to tell you that I will abide by the rules, the laws, the constitution governing APC. I will go back to Delta State to champion Asiwaju renewed hope. The programmes are great programmes. The revolution …is benefiting Nigerians today.
“So I have come to be part of the teamwork of APC that is already shaping Nigeria, plus agricultural revolutions, I am happy with what all APC governors who have gone into the agricultural sectors. Today, you will see our prices of food are coming down, I think that’s the progress.
“I am happy as APC member today, and I’m going to work with the leadership of APC in the grassroots and make sure that APC take over Delta State in 2027. To start with, APC will take over the House of Assembly on my local government, which I will produce by his grace, APC will take over my federal constituency where I have spent 12 years.
“Receiving the new entrant into the party, the APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru said of all political parties in the country, the ruling party continued to wax stronger and commended the former lawmaker for dumped the “dilapidated structure.
“I congratulate you for seeing these laudable achievements of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration. Of course, you also alluded to the fact that the President is the person that has been a beacon of hope to the teaming Nigerian people and that is why I doubt there’s any politician in Nigeria that has radiate hope and support for many politicians, especially younger politicians in Nigeria, rather than Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“Of course, of all political parties in Nigeria, our party continues to wax stronger and you see opposition parties, particularly the Peoples Democratic Party are in serious crisis occasioned by inordinate ambitions and lack of proper coordination. The question is, can Nigerians trust a party that can not even put its house in order to rule the country. So, thank you for abandoning that already dilapidated structure,” he said.