A former governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke, has returned to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, after many years in the political wilderness, in quest for a redefinition of his political identity and ideology.
The news of Duke’s return to the PDP was broken by the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party Caretaker Committee in Cross River State, Effiok Cobham.
He made the disclosure on Wednesday at a press briefing in Calabar.
When asked to confirm the speculations that the former Governor had returned to the party, he said, “Yes, he has registered.”
The development came on the heels of the defection of Governor Ben Ayade to the All Progressives Congress on May 20.
Duke earlier defected from PDP to the Social Democratic Party, SDP, where he contested the 2019 presidential election.
He was a two-term governor of Cross River between 1999 and 2007.
His return to the PDP is expected to re-energise the party working in concert with another former Governor, Liyek Imoke and the like of Senator Gershom Bassey.
The troika of Duke, Imoke and Bassey were said to be the tripod upon which the governorship of the state rested until Imoke suspected a betrayal and allowed Ayade to insert his wedge in a compromise deal that saw Ayade without a solid political structure emerge as his successor. The rest, as they say, is now history.
But hours after the briefing, Donald Duke himself reportedly issued a statement emphatically confirming his return to the party on whose platform he was governor of Cross River State from 1999 to 2007.
The statement is reproduced here-under.
MY STATEMENT OF RETURN TO PDP
Dear Friends, a lot is being said about my return to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Truth is, I reunited with the party almost a year ago now, but in spirit never left the ideals for which the party was founded upon. It is rather unfortunate that Governor Ben Ayade who constantly egged me to rejoin the party has himself had cause to leave. A rather unfortunate decision for which I neither support nor condemn, as I’m not privy to the details except his complaints of being stifled and unappreciated by the leadership of the party and certain elements of Cross River State origin at Abuja.
In our early to mid thirties buoyed by optimism and faith in our State and Nation, we took a plunge into the unknown world of politics. Providence smiled at us and thrust us into the limelight and leadership of national politics. In Cross River State we took on the establishment and won a razor thin victory in 1999, but through firm and adroit leadership and adherence to the democratic principles of inclusion we soon brought largely all the political class in the state under the PDP and by 2007, we were perhaps the most PDP state in Nigeria.
However, post 2007, the party’s fortune started ebbing. An autocratic leadership style emerged, communication with its followers declined and emergence in the party was determined largely not by the party constitution or structures but by the whims of the States Chief Executive.
- This is the structure Gov Ayade inherited and has largely led us to where we are today. The very top down political style we fought against prior 1999, instead of consultation, accommodation and inclusion reared its head to the extent that founding members of the party in the state including former state chairmen, senators, members of the National Assembly and I, over time opted out and this attrition has continued unabated to the extent that the Governor himself has left to seek pasture elsewhere.
I believe it is important that we provide the same opportunities that democratic inclusion afforded us in our youth to other young people as they prepare to takeover the mantle of leadership.
It is my hope that we all have learnt the lessons of the past couple of years. Our nation begs for sincere and committed leadership. We can and must do better. There is no room nor time for egoistic pandering but selfless service and this, is what the times deserves. Thank you and may God Bless our state and nation.
Donald Duke
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