Dare Babalola
Abia State’s former governor, Senator Theodore Orji, has dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Orji, who served as Senator for Abia Central from 2015 to 2023, had announced his retirement from politics months ago but hadn’t formally left the PDP until now
His son, a former Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji had earlier dumped the PDP amid the internal crisis rocking the party.
As speculated, the former Abia Central senator, who has largely maintained a low public profile since his retirement, has now formally left the PDP for the APC, a decision many analysts say had long been anticipated.
Confirming the development, the former governor’s media aide, Mr. Ifeanyi Umere, told The Nation that the defection was a personal decision. He added that there was no official reason provided for the move.
Reactions to the move have been mixed across the state. While APC supporters have described it as a boost to the party’s growing presence in the South-East, PDP loyalists fear it could further weaken the party’s structure and chances of recovery in Abia.
