…says critics are ‘political retirees’ chasing influence
By Abel Leonard, Lafia
Former Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Nasarawa State, Hon. Francis Orogu, has broken his silence on the recent internal wrangling within the party, addressing comments made by some members alleging that the PDP has lost focus.
In an exclusive interview with Sun Correspondent in his residence on Friday, Orogu said while he has refrained from speaking publicly since leaving office, recent developments necessitated setting the record straight.
“It has been a while since I granted an interview, but I believe everything happens at the right time. I’ve served my time, and the records of our efforts in the last elections are clear for all to see,” Orogu stated.
He criticized what he described as “a group of individuals” who recently visited former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to discuss the future of the party, alleging that they painted a misleading picture of PDP’s strength in Nigeria.
“They have the political right to consult, but not to misrepresent the state of affairs of the party. Without the PDP, many of them wouldn’t have the political relevance they now enjoy. For a sitting senator like Senator Onawo Ogoshi, who was elected under the PDP just two years ago, to claim the party has lost focus is not only unfair, it is misleading,” he said.
Orogu accused the senator and others of failing to contribute meaningfully to the party’s progress, especially in terms of financial support and strategic leadership.
“Since his emergence as senator, the only contribution he made was during the membership validation exercise where he supported with about N10 million. Even at that, Hon. David Ombugadu contributed nearly the same amount. Beyond that, there has been no meaningful support,” Orogu revealed.
He added that during the last congresses, it was Hon. Ombugadu who funded most of the processes, including purchasing nomination forms across wards and local governments with N46 million.
He lamented that some stakeholders failed to even purchase forms in their own wards, only turning around to frustrate the process when they realized they could not control the consensus outcomes.
“These same people rushed to court to stop the congresses as they do every four years. It’s become a pattern. Instead of supporting the party, they work to destabilize it, and then blame others for its challenges,” Orogu said.
He went on to describe these critics as “compulsorily retired politicians” who have lost relevance in the state but are now seeking national attention for personal gain.
“They have lost influence locally and now hope to revive their careers at the national level by misrepresenting facts. They didn’t deliver votes for Atiku during the presidential election. In their units, some barely secured 100 votes for him. How is that support?” Orogu questioned.
“I, on the other hand, delivered over 45 percent of the votes in my local government. APC and Labour Party combined couldn’t gather 3,000 votes there. So, let’s not twist the truth.”
Orogu advised Atiku to be cautious about the individuals he surrounds himself with in future political engagements, warning that surrounding himself with people who have lost electoral value could be detrimental.
“If these are the faces of a new journey, then I suggest he pauses. We can reorganize and continue on our path. Atiku is a respected leader, but he must be strategic in who he chooses to work with.”
He affirmed that PDP remains the most reliable vehicle for any future national political ambition, noting that while some individuals have come and gone, the party remains firmly rooted at the grassroots.
“No party in Nigeria today is entirely stable, not even the APC. If they were, why haven’t they conducted their national convention? They are moving from one caretaker committee to another. So let’s be honest—PDP is not perfect, but it remains focused,” Orogu concluded.