Former House of Representatives member, Dr. Ossai Nicholas Ossai, has defected from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Ossai, who chaired several standing and ad hoc House committees, including the Committee on Treaties, Protocols, and Agreements in the 9th Assembly, was warmly received yesterday by Senator Ajibola Bashiru at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja, reports The Guardian.
Ossai attributed his defection to the leadership qualities of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stating that they were the main reason he joined the APC.
Recalling his days with President Bola Tinubu in the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP) during the aborted Third Republic, Ossai said that the progress recorded in the economy so far speaks volumes about Tinubu’s ability to steer the country out of its challenges.
He further stated that he had no reason to remain in the PDP, whose “umbrella is already broken beyond repair.”
Ossai, a three-term representative of the Ndokwa/Ukwuani Federal Constituency of Delta State in the House, pledged to join forces with progressive elements to ensure the defeat of the PDP-led administration in Delta State in the 2027 elections.
He said, “My role model, Asiwaju Tinubu, is the president of the country, and I have been following him since the days of SDP. I was in the same political party with him in SDP, and he was our leader in Lagos at that time. I’ve been waiting for him to contest, and today, he’s the President. I am happy with the initiatives he has introduced to propel this country forward. Nigeria needs to be built on a solid foundation.
“Secondly, the umbrella has broken; the center cannot hold. You don’t play party politics when the head is sick. So I have come to be part of the APC team that is already shaping Nigeria, especially with the agricultural revolution. I’m happy with the APC governors who have invested in agriculture. Today, food prices are coming down, and that is progress.
“I’m happy to be an APC member today, and I will work with the leadership of the party at the grassroots level to ensure that APC takes over Delta State in 2027. To start with, APC will take over the House of Assembly in my local government, which I will help produce by God’s grace. APC will also take over my federal constituency, where I have served for 12 years.
“I have investigated 850 agencies in this country. I know what was lacking and what is happening today. I understand that at some point, we were borrowing money just to pay salaries. Is that happening today? No! Because a particular leader has emerged—my role model—who is shifting the nation’s direction.”
