PDP Accepts Kalu's Return, Ex-Governor Says 'I Am Not Ashamed'

ABUJA, July 12, (THEWILL) - Speculations on the return of former Abia State Governor, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, to the ruling People’s Democratic Party came to an end today as National Chairman of the party Dr. Okwesileze Nwodo formerly welcomed him into the PDP fold.

The Former Governor formed the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) when he dumped PDP in 2006 after he was deregistered alongside some founding fathers of the party during Obasanjo’s administration.

Speaking to newsmen at the PDP national Secretariat in Abuja, Kalu said he was not ashamed of coming back to the party saying ‘PDP is a family house’ which he strongly participated in building.

He said his return to the ruling party has ended the life of Progressive Peoples Alliance where until today he was Chairman of Board of Trustees, stressing that the PPA has ceased to exist henceforth as its structures at all levels had been merged into PDP.

Kalu who was accompanied by the National Chairman of PPA, Chief Larry Essien said, "I left the PDP on whose platform I was governor for two terms of four years each because I was deregistered by the party leadership under Col. Amodu Ali, and my coming back is in fulfillment of a promise I made to Dr. Nwodo before he was elected PDP national chairman", he said.

He advocated for internal democracy in the ruling party especially as the party marches towards the 2011 general elections, begging for forgiveness from those he offended.

In his remarks at the occasion, Nwodo promised free and fair primaries towards 2011 so that the best candidates would emerge adding that the shackles binding PDP before his emergence as national chairman had been shattered.

He expressed confidence in the new leadership at the Independent National Electoral Commission and was optimistic that the rate of litigations on electoral matters would substantially reduce in 2011 in view of the high integrity of INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega.

Kalu’s return to PDP is understood to be a response to the defection of Abia Governor, Chief Theodore Orji who decamped to the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) due to a running political battle with Kalu, his godfather.