From Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
Sen Andy Uba, the APC candidate in the upcoming November 6 Anambra State governorship election, flagged off his campaign rally of local governments in Onitsha on Wednesday.
Uba stormed the Ezechima Primary Field venue for the Onitsha North rally with pomp, with a mass of supporters receiving him, after which he moved to Fegge Housing Estate Primary School for the Onitsha South rally where a crowd greeted him.
At the rally Hon Lynda Ikpeazu, representing Onitsha North and South at the Federal House of Representatives, who recently defected to the APC, collapsed her campaign structure for Uba, promising to rally more support for his victory.
Uba, overwhelmed by the turnout in Onitsha, addressed the crowd, promising to return Onitsha to its former glory by providing basic infrastructure if elected governor.
The candidate promised to conduct local government elections within six months of his administration, affirming his belief in local autonomy which he championed when he was at the National Assembly.
‘There is no other better time to prioritise Onitsha urban renewal than now. If nothing is done urgently, we will have a city that will be impossible for anyone to move around. The entire roads in Onitsha and other parts of the state have been collapsed,’ he said.
‘As governor, we are going to drive integrated urban renewal that will end the increasing crime rate in Onitsha. The menace of touts is already threatening businesses in and around Onitsha and our state economy is the worse for it.
‘Accordingly, there will also be a new policy regime on revenue collection that won’t be a threat to our people, but instead, help to boost the state’s economy.
‘Onitsha has been abandoned for years now and we are coming to rescue it from the status of an abandoned city by successive governments. I had the overall development plan of Onitsha in mind when I sponsored some of these bills at the senate such as National Inland Waterways Bill, Consumer Protection Bill, Railway Corporation Bill, National Road Infrastructure Fund Bill and the Nigeria Ports and Harbour Authority Bill.
‘I want to commend Hon Ikpeazu for her support and mobilization at the rally. I’m not surprised about her love in Onitsha and beyond because of her good representation. She is called “madam project” due to the number of road projects and empowerments she has attracted to Onitsha,’ he stated.
In her remarks, Ikpeazu, expressing confidence in a Uba victory, described the APC as a party to beat in November 6 election.
‘We are one family in APC and we should be committed. Elections are hard work, we should work together. It is high time we take over Anambra and connect to the centre. Our candidate is experienced and we shall win the election by voting not by rigging.
‘They said APC is Hausa/Fulani party and the result of the election had been written already, it’s not true. We shall all come out en masse to vote for Andy Uba because our votes will count. We shall move to our various wards to canvas for votes and mobilize support for Andy Uba,’ Ikpeazu assured.
State Party Chairman Chief Basil Ejidike, who is from Onitsha South, rallied supporters at the rally, saying that the area is hundred per cent for Andy Uba.
He said that since Uba emerged candidate at the primary election, good tidings has been following APC in the state as many bigwigs in other political parties have defected to APC.
‘With the turnout at the rally, it’s obvious that APC has been generally accepted in Onitsha as a whole and I advised other political parties to stop the campaign of name-calling and dwell on an issue-based campaign just like our candidate has been doing.
‘We have a beautiful bride which is our candidate and that is why many people from other parties are joining the moving train to get to the centre. We shall come out victoriously because we have what it takes to win the November 6 poll and we are counting on you the voters,’ Ejidike stated.