From Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
The Anambra North Elders For Good Governance and Quality Representation (ANEGGQR) has charged Nigerians to elect leaders in forthcoming elections on the strength of their track records and not political parties.
The group said that political parties like Labour, PDP, APC, YPP, ACN etc, have both good, bad and desperate individuals chanting their slogans, urging electorates to sieve out the wheat from the chaff by electing individuals as opposed to the idea of political parties.
The Secretary of ANEGGQR Chief Osita Ofojebe in a communique issued in Onitsha said that some current gang of politicians who lost tickets in their respective parties but are now flying the Labour Party ticket, hope to ride on the shoulder of its presidential candidate, Peter Obi to victory.
“A hoard of candidates currently flying the labour ticket had almost made it their sole campaign strategy to be seen to be attached to Mr. Peter Obi, the labour Presidential flag bearer and in their desperation, had caused to be printed banners/posters with their pictures and that of the Obi, strategically positioned to create the impression that the aspirations of the man in question was same as theirs.
“For weeks on end, this gang of desperate Labour party candidates, who mostly failed to clinch tickets in their former respective party primaries, suddenly transfigured into Labour champions and had hoped that the almost saintly perception of Mr. Peter Obi, would somehow, rub off positively on them and this explains why they were upbeat in the weeks leading up to the rally in Onitsha, with many boasting that the presidential candidate was coming to Anambra State to raise their hands as political tradition demands.
“Unfortunately for them, this was not the case as Mr. Peter Obi, known for being forthright and a man that eschews any attempt by questionable characters to gain cheap popularity by leveraging on his well curated image, simply stood on that podium, delivered his usual campaign speech and left them utterly disappointed by not raising their hands as a sign of recognition.
“By not raising their hands, Mr. Peter Obi was staying true to his conscience for realized that there was just no way he would be numbered amongst cultists, destroyers of Anambra State public properties and those whose idea of politicking is by engendering a state of panic and needless violence in the polity.
“We really must commend the Labour Presidential candidate for standing tall and solid as a rock and for staying unwilling to be sucked into the deceit orchestrated by those who believe that rushing to pick the Labour ticket, equates to automatic acceptance by ndi Anambra State.
“The Labour Presidential candidate must be applauded for recognizing that political parties are mere vehicles for the actualization of political interests and that both good and bad men and women, abound in every political party.
“Indeed, Mr. Peter Obi, by not acceding to their wish for their hands to be raised, which they had hoped would make good optics for the media, is smart to understand that in the forthcoming general elections, Nigerians are tired of the deception that demonizes or praises political parties as though their respective candidates, reflect or personifies an ideology, which as they already know, is non existent.
“To Mr. Peter Obi, we say kudos for understanding that the Anambra State voter is one of the most advanced that would never be sucked into a lie that seeks to make no clear distinction between he and others hoping to leverage on his brand” Ofojebe stated.
