Market Leaders in Anambra State under the umbrella association, Anambra State Markets Amalgamated Traders’ Association (ASMATA), have reiterated their support for the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)-led government in the state.
Speaking yesterday in Onitsha on the heels of a purported newspaper report by some ‘faceless’ traders threatening to withdraw support for the APGA-led government and its governorship candidate in the forthcoming November 6 election in the state over the non-conduct of Onitsha Main Market election, Chairman, Electoral Committee of ASMATA, Sam Emeka, described the threat as politically motivated and unfounded as the group that issued the threat was unknown to traders and should be disregarded.
Emeka explained that the inability to conduct market elections where they were due was as a result of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic that ravaged the global community, including Nigeria.
The electoral committee boss disclosed that with the prevailing circumstance, the ban on market elections had been lifted with Ogidi Building Materials Market and Scraps Market, Ogbaru producing new executives.
Emeka, who was flanked by other ASMATA executives, disclosed that those who issued the threat were an unknown group, claiming to be representing the interest of traders in Onitsha Main Market and beyond.
He stated that the sole aim of the group was to create disharmony, disaffection and ill-feelings between the state’s market leadership and the state government.
“The purported threat by the faceless group was a scheme to cause disaffection, disharmony and ill-feelings between the state government and state’s markets leadership under ASMATA,” he stated.
He stressed that it was a group of people who were not comfortable with the laudable achievements of the present APGA-led government in the state, with the support and sponsorship of some opposition politicians in the State.