Former Abia gov,  Theodore Orji, dumps PDP

Former Abia State Governor and two-term senator, Theodore Orji, has formally ended his long-standing association with the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

His resignation was communicated in a letter addressed to the PDP chairman of Umuahia Ward 1, which was made public on Saturday.

Orji, who previously represented Abia Central in the Senate during the eighth and ninth assemblies, first became governor in 2007 on the platform of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA). He later crossed over to the PDP in 2011 following an extended fallout with his predecessor, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu.

He secured a second term as governor under the PDP and subsequently served eight years in the Senate after winning election in 2015 on the party’s ticket.

The family’s political movement away from the PDP had begun earlier. In 2024, during a wave of defections that shook the party, his son — former Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Chinedum Orji — joined the All Progressives Congress, APC. His wife had also exited the PDP before then.

In his resignation letter, the former governor 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.”