From Joseph Uchenna, in Makurdi
Protem Benue State Chairman, African Democratic Party, ADC Rt Hon Terngu Tsegba has explained that they left the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP because it’s been hijacked by ‘political hoodlums’ who derailed the party from its original mission of serving the people.
The former House of Representatives Speaker Pro Tempore said this at the unveiling of the ADC in Iguamale, Ado local government on Sunday.
Said he, “When we were building the PDP, we intended it to be the peoples’ party, but some hoodlums came and took it away for themselves. We are here to build this party and hand it over to the people directly,” Tsegba declared. “We intend to remove the APC government that has brought untold hardship and corruption. Let us not allow our political aspirations to distract us. At the appropriate time, the registered members will decide who will be the candidates of the party at various levels. Our ADC truly belongs to the people and is not owned by anybody.”
Echoing the same sentiment, former Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Stephen Onmeje; Chief Patrick Ogbu; and Hon. Rose Ameh, expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of PDP.
They emphasized that the suffering of the people at the grassroots had become unbearable, prompting their collective decision to rejuvenate the ADC as a people-oriented platform.
“We used to say in our former party that our lives were becoming better, but along the line, the parties made life unbearable for the people—especially those at the grassroots. As stakeholders, we cannot fold our arms and allow things to degenerate any further,” Hon. Onmeje said.
In a show of solidarity, former Commissioner for Finance, Hon. David Olofu, represented by Hon. Owoicho Oyi, commended the political awakening in Ado and urged the people to support their leaders in the ADC. He also made a financial donation in support of the party’s local efforts.
The unveiling event also featured goodwill messages from leaders of other political parties who recently joined the ADC. Hon. Sunday Igwe (formerly of the Labour Party), Hon. John Ayah (formerly of the PDP), and Hon. Sunday Agbaji (formerly of the APC) all expressed disappointment in their former parties, describing them as undemocratic and disconnected from the needs of the people.
They pledged their full support for the ADC and urged their followers to embrace the new movement aimed at bringing genuine development, inclusion, and accountability to the people of Ado LGA and beyond.
