Facts have emerged on why former presidential adviser, Senator Florence Ita-Giwa left her former political party, the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP), for the ruling All Progressives Congress, (APC).
Ita-Giwa, who disclosed her move on Thursday in Calabar, that she was moving from the PDP to join her contemporaries in the APC, sources hinted was actually encouraged by her former boss and ex-Nigerian president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.
Mr. Jonathan Eze, the media spokesman for Senator Ita-Giwa, who spoke with this magazine last week Friday on the matter, did confirm that his boss was on her way to APC. When asked whether Chief Obasanjo actually encouraged her to leave the PDP, he said, “Honestyl, I don’t know why she joined APC bro. But I know she has conceived the idea for a long time. Like she said, many of her friends were already in APC.”
However, a very reliable source told this magazine that, ahead of Mama Bakassi’s move, Chief Ita-Giwa met with Chief Obasanjo who she always holds in high esteem for advice. Although, the former president was not categorical in guiding her, sources said he urged her to be wise about her move as she could not afford to remain isolated in the scheme of things, therefore, she should not ‘remained behind’.
The source said that Ita-Giwa, being a student of Obasanjo knew when her boss means his words. Thus, she had to go back home for wider consultations with party stakeholders and then moved to APC finally on Friday, 7th of April 2017.
Ita-Giwa made history when she became the first woman to become a principal officer at the National Assembly at the turn of the century when she was elected deputy leader of the then All Peoples Party, (APP) Senate Caucus. She, however, walked away from that position and the party in controversial circumstances when she stood against the plots of the Pius Anyim Senate leadership against President Olusegun Obasanjo in the period leading to the 2003 elections.
Obasanjo was to appreciate her support after the election with her appointment as Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters.
Speaking on her latest decision, the 71 years old lady said that she had been idle in her former party (PDP) for over one year, adding that she was moving with her huge supporters from her Bakassi constituency to boost the fortunes of the APC in Cross River State.
-Folorunsho Hamsat with Akin Alade
