Gov Martin Elechi of Ebonyi said the state Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would allow party members who defected to return only if they reconciled with those they might have offended.
He stated this in Abuja on Thursday when he led a delegation of the party`s stakeholders in the state on a courtesy visit to the party’s National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu.
The governor said some PDP members left the party in Ebonyi with the hope of finding greener pastures.
“But unfortunately for them, what they found was browner pastures and so they are making their way back into the PDP.
“We have received a good number of them on certain conditions.
“Primarily, we insist that if you had committed atrocity before you left us, only God can forgive you if PDP lacks the power to forgive you.
“In a few cases where this condition is applied, they had not come back, but we have opened our doors wide in everywhere else and they are streaming in”, he said.
According to him, those who defect from the PDP to the opposition have suffocated enough in their isolation.
“They are now begging to be allowed to drink from the waters from the spring of the PDP”, the governor said.
Elechi commended the party’s national chairman for receiving the delegation in spite of his schedules.
He said the visit was to pay homage to the chairman and the National Working Committee (NWC) and to pledge the commitment and loyalty of Ebonyi people to PDP leadership.
In his response, Mu’azu commended Elechi for the peace in Ebonyi and his development strides.
He called on the people of the state to continue to cooperate with the governor to ensure more development.
The national chairman pledged to ensure a level playing ground for all members of the party in all elections.
He advised party members to continue to canvass for votes for the party, adding that only popular aspirants would emerge as the party`s candidates in 2015.
Mu’azu assured that the party under his leadership would be run in a transparent manner, adding that politicians would be considered on the basis of merit.
According to him, as members of the same family, all party members will be treated equally.
He advised the governor to continue to maintain peace in the state and to remain steadfast in his development stride.
The governor was accompanied on the visit by members of the State House of Assembly, party chieftains and local government chairmen.
The national chairman, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Ayim Pius Ayim and Elechi were decorated with the emblem of Nigeria’s centenary at the occasion. (NAN)
