New Telegraph

Anambra 2021: Crisis as 12 aspirants threaten to dump PDP

• Surrender to APGA, Obidigwe tells PDP, APC

 

There are strong indications that 12 gubernatorial aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may dump the party if the party fails to nominate a candidate from Anambra South Senatorial District.

 

But the duo of Senator Uche Ekwunife and Chief Obiora Okonkwo have dismissed the demand of the 12 aspirants from Anambra South, contending that the governance of Anambra State cannot be reduced to a mere representative position.

They are insisting that the primary election should be thrown open for contest.

 

According to a resolution signed by the 12 PDP aspirants from Anambra South Senatorial District: “Based on the provisions of Article 7(2)(c) of the PDP constitution which provides for the principles of zoning in our party to ensure equity, fairness and natural justice and based on the prevailing zoning principles existing and being practiced currently in Anambra State governorship election, we, the undersigned hereby demand that the zoning principle be applied in the nomination and selection of of the PDP candidate in the upcoming PDP governorship primaries in Anambra State.

 

By the said principle of zoning, the governorship position of Anambra State devolves to Anambra South, having regard to the fact that Central has governed for 11 years, North eight years and South less than four years and six months.

 

“All members of this forum do undertake to support any one of them from the South who emerges through a credible process as the party’s flag bearer after June 26th PDP primary election.”

 

It was reliably gathered that that plans have been perfected to dump the party a candidate outside the southern part of the state is nominated, which has drawn the anger of Sen Uche Ekwunife and Chief Obiora Okonkwo.

 

Ekwunife said: “The issue of zoning cannot apply when we are talking about the governance of Anambra State and at a time when all hands must be on deck to take Anambra State to the next level, people are talking about zoning.

 

“It is all about good governance and capacity, irrespective of where one comes from and the next governor will not be governor of Anambra South alone but the entire Anambra State.”

 

Obiora Okonkwo, from Anambra Central District, who spoke through his media aide, Mr Achilus Uchegbu, recalled that in August last year, the National Working Committee of the party made it clear that the party was not interested in zoning but to nominate a candidate that can win election for the party and that even the zonal working committee of the party also reiterated the position of the national leadership of the party.

 

He contended that the governance of the state should not be reduce the contest to mediocrity, adding that “let all the aspiants go and contest in order to produce the best from the party, instead of reducing it to a mere representative position.”

 

When contacted, the state chairman of the PDP, Chief Ndubuisi Nwobu, said that the party would provide a level play ground for a free, fair and credible primary election and assured the aspirants not to lose sleep over the excise.

 

Nwobu further noted that the issue of dumping the party was nonexistent as all the 16 aspiants have agreed to support any eventual winner of the party primary election. Meanwhile, the PDP and the All Progressives Congress (APC), have been advised to forget about the November gubernatorial election in Anambra State because there is no vacancy at the Government House, Awka.

 

This came as youths, women, twenty one local government area chairmen and members of the Anambra state executive council as well as member of the state House of Assembly made donation of N22 million to Prof Charles Soludo for the purchase of nomination form of the party.

 

 

According to the member representing Anambra East and West Federal Constituency and National President, United Anambra Youth Assembly U- AYA and United Anambra Youth Assembly U- AWA, Chief Chinedu Obidigwe, who spoke at the Anambra Youth National Solidarity Rally for Obiano: “We want to use this opportunity to tell the PDP and APC to surrender to APGA because we have no vacancy at the government house Awka, because our party has been in the saddle for almost 16 years.

 

“You know that it was under the PDP government that a sitting governor was kidnapped and that was the beginning of kidnapping in Anambra State and it was under the same PDP that Anambra State was burnt down during the mayhem and the same people that burnt down the Government House Awka want to go back to the Government House, which took the APGA government 16 years to rebuild.”

 

Speaking shortly after presenting the cheque of N22 million to Soludo, Gov Willie Obiano, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Chief Primus Odili, said that the governor is aware of the function, adding that the governor sends his felicitations to Anambra youths and women.

 

Soludo, who received the cheque from the youths and women, noted that under the regime of Obiano, the poverty rate in Anambra State has reduced from 53 per cent to 14.78 per cent, which according to him, is a testimony of success and progress.

 

Soludo congratulated past governors of Anambra State for their contributions towards the socio-economic development of Anambra State.

 

Also 26 branded vehicles were also donated to the Soludo campaign Organization and a moment of silence was observed for the fallen Biafran solders that died during the Nigerian Civil War.

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