There seems to be mixed feelings over speculations that Senator Hope Uzodinma and his followers may have resolved not to dump the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP for another political party afterall.
Since last month, the senator who represents Imo North senatorial zone in the senate has been in the news as speculations grew that he will join the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA or head to the governing All Progressive Congress, APC.
Political analysts had expected the Senator’s exit from the PDP when Prince Uche Secondus emerged the national chairman of the PDP at the December 9, 2017 non elective national convention in Abuja. Secondus was strongly backed by top leaders of the PDP in Imo State for the national chairmanship including a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt Hon. Emeka Ihedioha.
Ihedioha and Uzodinma have been embroiled in a tug of war for the soul of the PDP in Imo State until the Supreme Court ruled that the past national caretaker committee led by Alhaji Ahmed Makarfi was the authentic leadership of the party. The Makarfi leadership in return gave solid backing to the Ihedioha backed Imo PDP State Executives relegating to the background the Nnamdi Anayehie “Exco” backed by the Senator.-a situation which gave Ihedioha’s men the edge in the party.
Senator Uzodinma had further raised more suspicions on his possible exit from the party as his camp never deflated reports in the local media that he is on the way out to APGA or APC. Reports had gone viral that some of his loyalists had opposed his move to any of the aforementioned political parties.
Suspected to be eyeing the party’s governorship ticket in 2019, the senator was alleged to have opened talks with the APC and APGA to negotiate his exit from the PDP based on unfavourable political developments in the party in Imo State which looked cloudy and uncertain for him in furthering his perceived governorship ambition.
However, a new twist emerged in the unfolding drama when the Nnamdi Anayehie led executives which the senator strongly backs commenced a tour of the local governments in the state preaching the PDP gospel. This newspaper gathered that the ongoing tour is a clear indication that the senator may not be leaving the party afterall.
A source in the senator’s camp did not give satisfactory response to our inquiries on what prompted the fresh moves but indications are also rife that the senator may be taking advantage of emerging political variables in the country as espoused in Obasanjo’s letter to President Muhammadu Buhari.
Obasanjo had advocated a “Third Force” as alternative to the governing APC and the opposition PDP.