By Deborah Nnamdi
Former Governor of Abia State, Senator Theodore Ahamefule Orji, has formally resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), ending his 13-year association with the party.
Orji’s resignation was contained in a letter addressed to the chairman of his Umuahia Ward 1 and made available to journalists on Saturday.
The former governor, who represented Abia Central in the 8th and 9th Senate, joined the PDP in 2011 after leaving the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), the platform on which he won the governorship election in 2007. His departure from the PPA followed a prolonged political rift with his predecessor, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu.
Orji secured a second term as governor under the PDP and later served eight years in the Senate on the party’s ticket.
His exit comes amid a wave of defections that rocked the PDP in 2024. His son, Rt. Hon. Chinedum Orji, former Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, had earlier defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), while his wife also left the PDP months ago.
In his resignation letter, Orji wrote:
“I write to formally tender my resignation from membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) effective immediately. This decision has been taken after wide consultations with family and associates. I appreciate the opportunities and experiences gained during my time as a member of the party. Please accept this letter as a formal notice of my withdrawal from the party.”
The former governor did not disclose his next political move.
