From Jeff Amechi  Agbodo and Aloysius Attah, Onitsha

The former Vice President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, yesterday urged voters to support the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Oseleka Obaze in the November 18 election.

Ekwueme said this yesterday while addressing the crowd that turned out at the flag-off of Obaze’s  campaign at the All Saints Cathedral filed Onitsha, saying that he was optimistic the party would take over power so that it can ensure good governance for the state.

‘”I am calling on all Anambra people to support the winning team of Obaze and my daughter Chidi, because they are good candidates.  Anambra is the home of PDP and we are going to take over what belong to us come November 18,” Ekwueme said.

The National Caretaker Committee Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Ahmed Markarfi , who was there to hand over the party’s flag to Obaze, said that the party would unite the country and secure the future of the state. He said that Obaze would provide jobs for unemployed youths and improve the standard of education in the state.

“Our party’s manifesto is good enough to take Anambra state to the next level and we ready to follow it strictly for full implementation,” Makarfi said.

In his remarks, ex governor Peter Obi said that the present administration has not performed well enough to return for a second term, saying that it was bad governance that made Obaze join the race to repair the infrastructural decay in the state.

“I was the person who took Obiano round for campaign where I told you people that if he did not perform well, I will not support him for another tenure. He has failed to perform well and that is why I am supporting Obaze whom I trust can repair the state and take it to the next level.

“I left N25 billion in the savings of the state and set aside N48.626 billion for important projects. The present government received N185 billion and between April 2014 and September 2017 the state received the sum of N109.9 billion from Local Government allocation. What have they done with the money?

“Ngige was in office for 38 months and constructed 199 kilometres of roads. I continued from where Ngige stopped in road construction which cuts across the state.  I built schools and equipped them and the state maintained its first position in WAEC but today we are in the seventh position. The state is dirty and there are so many dilapidated roads. This government has failed us and we should look for a better candidate to deliver us and that candidate is Obaze” Obi said.

While receiving the party’s flag from Markarfi, Obaze promised to run a single term of four years if elected and said the election is a moment of reckoning for the PDP hence they must seize the moment and win Anambra back.


 

PDP in fresh crisis as faction disowns Obaze

From Geoffrey Anyanwu, Awka

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday suffered a serious upset when a faction of the party led by Prince Kenneth Emeakayi staged a rally at the Alex Ekwueme Square, Awka and disowned the party candidate in the November 18 governorship election, Mr. Oseloka Henry Obaze.

The faction, which goes with the name Anambra Grassroots Movement (AGM), which is made up of the original PDP members and leaders declared that Obaze was not a registered member of PDP. It also gave the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party five day ultimatum to select from among the other aspirants who bought the party’s form for the primary election and replace Obaze or have them declare support for any candidate of other political parties of their choice.

Making the decision of the group known while addressing the crowd which was second only to that of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) flag off last week, Prince Emeakayi  said “we are calling on the national leadership of the PDP to please do the needful, we are not threatening, it is not a threat but we are giving the PDP five days from today to do the needful. Reason, Oseloka Henry Obaze is not a registered member of PDP therefore as we speak PDP do not have a legitimate candidate for the election.

“We are calling on the PDP leadership to do the needful. There are credible and qualified members of PDP, Stella Oduah, John Emeka, Linda Ikpeazu, Alex Obiogbolu and Ifeanyi Ubah all bought form and contested; we are calling on the national leadership of PDP to choose from any of the five. Any of them chosen will be a legitimate candidate of the party.”

Talking about the non violence campaign he said, “we are here to flag off our enlightenment campaign and awareness for non violence election and credible election in Anambra State, where every vote must count. We have a duty and our duty is to educate our people and to carry the message to all the nooks and cranny of Anambra State, to tell our people that no violence. If you are strong show it with your vote not in violence.  “Those hoping on rigging, we are saying no, every vote must count in Anambra State, election in this state must be credible and the people must be allowed to decide who they want as their governor and not by any manipulation. We are enjoying security today in Anambra therefore we don’t want any violence. We want the people of Anambra State to feel free to come out and exercise their franchise and vote for candidate of their choice in the election.”


Old Aguata Union youth group roots for Ezeemo

From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha

Youths of the Old Aguata Union  comprising of Orumba North, Orumba South and Aguata Local Government Areas have endorsed the candidate of the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), Godwin Ezeemo, saying they will not let older politicians choose a candidate for them.

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One of the youth leaders from Ezira community, Emmanuel Agu, said the youths will not listen to those whom he said contributed to the problems of the state, insisting that youths of the Old Union will not support the re-election of Governor Willie Obiano because they believe he has performed poorly.

He said that it was unfortunate that the Old Aguata has a candidate like Ezeemo, yet, are seeking to endorse another person.

Kelechi Ifejieme , a youth leader from Uga, said that the youths from the 45 communities that make up the Old Aguata Union should resolved to stand by their  own and support his campaign.

He said that the  decision  made during a meeting of stakeholders of the Union  at Amaokpala in Orumba North  was not a true representation of the people’s will but a selected few.

 


 

Obi failed in promise to quit politics –Lawmaker

From David Onwuchekwa,

The legislator representing Nnewi North constituency in the State House of Assembly, Amalachukwu  Anazodo,  has said former Governor Peter Obi failed to fulfil his promise to quit politics.

Anazodo said this at the weekend at his Nnewi residence when he hosted officials of his party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) to sensitize them on the need to ensure the re-election of Governor Willie Obiano.

He said Obi’s support for Mr Oseloka Obaze of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is an indication that he did not fulfil his promise to quit politics.

“Obi governed the State for eight years and said he was going to quit politics. He abandoned APGA that built him politically and joined the PDP. Whatsoever he is today in politics, APGA made him that so he has no moral justification to work against APGA government,” Anazodo said.


 

APC launches ‘operation deliver your polling unit’ in Nnewi

From David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Nnewi North Local Government Area, yesterday, inaugurated the council’s campaign team ahead of its Friday, 20 governorship campaign flag off in Anambra State.

Those who officiated the inauguration were the APC State party chairman, Mr Emeka Ibe; Director General of the Tony Nwoye Campaign Organization, Osita  Ezenwa; the Director of Campaign Administration, Chief Basil Ejidike; Deputy Director, Campaign Organization, Chief Azuka Okwuosa; Nnewi North APC chairman, Chief Jimmy Asoegwu; Dr. Tony Nwoye’s running mate, Dozie Ikedife jnr, among other state and local government party officials.

While inaugurating the campaign team, Mr. Ibe told them that it was going to be operation deliver your polling unit. He said there was no reason APC would not win the governorship election with the men and materials available for the battle. He warned that Anambra people should not allow what happened during the presidential election in 2015 that produced President Muhammadu Buhari to repeat itself.

“When Muhammadu Buhari was campaigning, we were preaching like John the Baptist asking the people of the south- east to prepare the way of the Lord, but they did not listen to us. But eventually, Buhari won and many states in the south- east became the losers. We are now preaching again because we know we will win the election. He who has ears to hear, let him hear,” the APC state chairman advised.

Ikedife jnr said that the wise ones were collapsing their structures in other political parties to join the APC to avoid regrets. He said that the campaign style to be adopted in Nnewi North would be to talk to people from house to house and in groups of 50s and 60s to ensure adequate grassroots mobilisation.

Also, the director of Administration of Tony Nwoye Campaign Organization, Chief Ejidike tasked each of the ten wards in Nnewi North to produce not less than 150 members for the campaign flag off which he said would be replicated in all the 21 councils of the state.

He assured them that adequate logistics would be made available as the party is fully prepared for the election.