• Charge party to go for best candidate

From Geoffrey Anyanwu, Awka

The committee recently set up by the All Progressives Congress (APC), South-East zone, to prosecute the November 18, 2017 Anambra State governorship election, yesterday said the party must take over the state through a free and fair election.
Consequently, Chairman of the seven-man committee and former governor of Old Anambra State, Senator Jim Nwobodo and the Vice-Chairman and the former governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, have asked the incumbent Governor, Chief Willie Obiano to start packing his load as the APC would leave no stone unturned in ensuring victory for the party.
Speaking when the committee members met with the State Executive of the party at the party’s secretariat in Awka, Nwobodo said: “We will not fight, we will not kill anybody, but we will peacefully take Anambra state.”
He said although Obiano might not be a pushover, all the APC needed was to present a good candidate that would give the party victory in the election.
“Let us not make the mistake of thinking that the incumbent governor is a pushover; we must get someone that will be better and who will, after winning the election, deliver the goods to the people of the state.”
Also addressing the state executives, Kalu said although  Obiano is their friend, “his only saviour would be to join the APC now before the doors of the party are closed.”
The former Abia State governor asked the party members in the state to reject the old practice in the state where people go for the highest bidder which, according to him, was the bane of politics in Igboland.
He said: “Don’t go for an aspirant because he has money to share, but go for the right candidate that the people would accept and vote for. Please don’t allow money to influence you in the primaries.
“Obiano is our friend, but his administration is not good for Ndi Anambra, so we are going to remove him. If he wants let him come over to APC, if not, we are taking over the state. Those of you who know your governor should tell him there is still chance for him to come in before we close the doors of the party next month.”
Kalu urged the executives to move into the grassroots and mobilise the people, assuring them that the committee would ensure free and fair primaries for election of the party’s candidate.
The aspirants, he said, would be made to sign some documents to the effect that whosoever wins would be supported by others, adding that any aspirant who refuses to sign the document to work for the party’s victory would not be allowed to contest the primaries.
Also speaking at the meeting, the female member of the committee, Senator Nkechi Nwogu urged members of the party not to sell their conscience, but ensure the best emerges as the party’s candidate, just as she charged the women in the party to ensure the right decisions are taken.
Secretary of the committee, Senator Emma Abotti, allayed fears of the people about the rumours that the committee had a candidate in mind, saying it had no powers to determine who the candidate of the party would be.
Earlier, state chairman of the party, Barr Emeka Ibe had told the committee that the structure of the party in the state was intact and ready for the election.
Ibe disclosed that, as at last month, the party had registered 1,200,000 members, stressing  with such population, members of the party alone could win the election for APC.
He said another thing giving the party confidence is that the incumbent government is unpopular, hence, making the election in November very open for the APC.