Urge Nigerians to defend democracy, votes

From: Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Geoffrey Anyanwu, Onitsha And Tony John, Port Harcourt

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has urged Nigerians to collectively defend democracy. This is just as he urged the people of Anambra State to cast their votes for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in tomorrow’s election, saying that only the party could protect and preserve the interest of the people of the state.

Similarly, he said that the only way for Igbo to have voice in Nigeria and to end their marginalisation was to return the PDP in Anambra State in tomorrow’s governorship election.

He made these known in Onitsha yesterday, while speaking at the Anambra Governorship PDP Campaign grand finale.

Jonathan who led the governors of Rivers, Delta, Abia, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Taraba, Gombe and Deputy governor of Awka Ibom States as well as former governor of Ogun state Otumba Gbenga Daniel to the grand finale of campaign rally of PDP at All Saint field Onitsha, said that the PDP was a party to beat in forthcoming election in the state and urged Anambra people to vote Mr. Oseleka Obaze and stand firm to defend democracy in the state.

The former President said the Anambra state has been PDP state and encouraged enterprising and business to thrive, stressing that the people of Anambra state should not make mistake of voting another party that would mortgage their future.

“PDP is the real party that can lead Anambra to the Promised Land, founding father of PDP is from Anambra which is Dr. Alex Ekwueme and PDP has more population of members in the country. PDP will bring development to Anambra state. We will encourage enterprise; Obaze will encourage enterprise in Anambra. You must not make mistake on Saturday, vote for Obaze. You need somebody that can have a voice and represent you well when they go to Abuja, you need first 11 when you go to Abuja and defend the interest of Anambra state.

“We need somebody that will protect the interest of Anambra people, somebody to protect the interest of Igbo. We don’t want any situation that will make Igbo complain of marginalisation again; but it will depend on people you send there and then governors we send there. We need somebody that will encourage the enterprise and business, someone who has the connection oversea to attract foreign partners to the state and that person is Obaze” Jonathan stated.

In his remark, the former governor of the state, Peter Obi said that Obiano was a mistake and bad market which Anambra State people should correct in the forthcoming election.

“Obiano is a mistake and bad market we made which must be corrected by voting Obaze in Saturday’s election. We should ask him what happened to the N75 billion left in the state account and N192 allocation. Obiano said there is no need of saving money, he sold Anambra State house in Lagos State, let’s vote him out” Obi stated.

Also speaking on the occasion, Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, advised PDP members in Anambra State to defend their votes in order to stop the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government from rigging tomorrow’s governorship election in favour  of their unpopular candidate, saying that the APC  could only  rig if the Anambra people allow them.

“If you don’t defend your votes, you have yourself to blame. They can only rig if you allow them. Don’t allow them,” the Rivers State governor said.

He also said that the PDP members should disregard the claim by the APC-led Federal Government that it would not rig the election, pointing out that rigging was their principal scheme.

“Stay at the polling units. Monitor your votes. Defend your votes on November 18. Make sure your votes count,” Wike added, just as he urged them to emulate the resistance of Rivers people, which stopped the APC-led Federal Government from rigging the rerun elections in the state.

“OHO (Oseloka Henry Obaze) is the answer.  They will bring intimidation.  Please use Rivers State  as example.  They pushed me and I pushed them. Follow the ballot boxes bumper to bumper”, Wike further said.

He also declared that the APC was a sinking a political party, noting that it has nothing to offer. Wike also berated the federal government for promising to start work in Anambra State in 2018, after abandoning the state since 2015.

Also, Ekiti State Governor, Peter Ayodele Fayose and former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, urged the people to vote Obaze as the next governor of Anambra State.

The governorship candidate on his part assured the people that he would make a difference when voted in on November 18.

The grand finale witnessed the massive turnout of PDP supporters from all the Local Government Areas of the state. Also, PDP governors, senators, House of Representatives members, State Assembly members and party executives from across the country equally graced the occasion.

 

 

Only God’ll determine result of this election -Chidoka

From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha

Candidate of United Progressives Party (UPP) in Anambra, Chief Osita Chidoka, says he is confident of winning the Nov.18 governorship election because of the strong messages in his campaigns.

Chidoka in a statement released Thursday night after the grand finale of his campaign held at Ezechima Primary School field; Onitsha thanked his teeming supporters for taking his message to the grassroots.

According to him, the UPP used over 45, 000 grassroots canvassers and another 4 , 000 hi – tech personnel to reach out to all eligible voters in the state .

“Through the campaign, we have been encouraged by our people, the generality of Ndi Anambra spoke with one voice in support of the UPP and we do not take that for granted.

“To their credit, we have run a robust campaign; we have the highest demography of supporters and volunteers across the nooks and crannies of Anambra State. We have campaigned vigorously; we have worked hard, we have shown that we can run a campaign without looting a state treasury. We have shown that you can campaign without the police and the Army supporting you, we have shown that we can run a successful campaign without a godfather.

“We stand firm in our declaration that only God the Father will determine the result of this election, ’’ Chidoka said.

 

 

Vote  en-mass for Obiano – Ezigbo

By Tony Udemba

A prominent indigene of Anambra State and Ezigbo Amuwo Odofin, a suburb in Lagos, Eze Anthony Chigbo Elui, has made a passionate call to the people of Anambra State to cast their votes over-whelming for the re-election of the incumbent governor and the APGA flag-bearer in the governorship elections, Chief Willy Obiano.

Speaking to Daily Sun in his palace in Lagos recently, Eze Elui reasoned that since Obiano had performed well since his first tenure, it would be in the best interest for Ndi- Anambra to rally around him and ensure that he wins tomorrow’s election.

According to him,” in the past few years that he has been in office as Anambra State governor, Obiano has literarily ended the reign of armed robbers, kidnappers and other violent crimes in the state, and restored the security of lives and property in the state. Within a short time he transformed Onitsha, Akwa and towns into modern cities.  It is to his credit that one can now sleep with both eyes firmly closed, without the fear of being attacked by criminal gangs. In fact his feats are too numerous to mention”.

 

 

No referendum, no election, IPOB says

By Chinelo Obogo

The proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has insisted that it would ensure elections do not hold in the state until the Federal Government sets a date for a referendum.

In a statement signed by IPOB’s Publicity Secretary Emma Powerful, the group said: “it is imperative to reinstate the reasons why we have decided to lock down Anambra State on November 18 and never to participate in any elections organised by INEC until a date for referendum is set.

“No reasonable person can point to a singular benefit of the much trumpeted dividend of democracy till date. It is on record that in 2014, our leader, Nnamdi Kanu, went on air on Radio Biafra and urged people to vote for APGA. But what did he and IPOB get in return for campaigning door to door and getting Obiano elected? We got massacre after massacre, detention without trial.

“Obiano turned back and bit the finger that fed him at the time of need. These are the same people asking us today to go and vote for them again, as if we are dumb and stupid. A successful boycott of Saturday’s elections will register our displeasure towards the attitude of politicians in the South East especially.

 

 

Victory for APC’ll help true Igbo national integration-APC chieftain

From David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi

An All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain in Anambra State, Chief Kingsley Nzomiwu (Obiukwu Ozubulu) has identified the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)’s philosophy of nke a bu nke anyi (this is our own) as the reason cessation pursuit is more pronounced in the state out of other states in the South East which he said had denied the Igbo full national integration.

Chief Nzomiwu while talking about his expectations on the Saturday’s election explained that the only way to correct the impression was to allow the APC to take over Anambra State, saying it would douse the tempo of agitation for cessation.

He noted that the APGA government in Anambra State had always promoted separatist ideology which he said had denied Anambra State and Ndigbo generally the opportunity to be fully integrated at the centre.

According to him, for somebody to talk about APGA as an Igbo party, APC or PDP as Youruba or Hausa parties is an outright promotion of ethnicism. He described it as a threat to national unity. He said that is why the people of Anambra State should vote massively for the APC for full national integration and to have a sense of belonging.