By Zika Bobby

The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Anambra State has called on the people to vote en masse for Governor Willie Obiano and shun violence in whatever guise.

APGA chieftain and member, Willie Obiano Re-election Committee, Obi Ochije said the party has vowed to ensure Obiano’s return by taking the campaign to the grassroots, preaching non-violence, stressing that the party was sure of victory with the governor’s impressive first term record.

“Ours is a grassroots party and there is a mass movement and support for APGA. Our performance is there for all to see. With the people behind us, we are 100 per cent ready for the election, come November 18,” he said.

Ochije commended APGA for producing quality governors who have over the years turned the fortunes of the state around.

“Peter Obi was governor for eight years and as APGA governor, he made impact. Obiano, another APGA governor, in the last four years has turned the state around for good. Today, Anambra is first in education, agriculture, prompt payment of salaries and pensions, wonderful infrastructure, healthcare, security and huge foreign investments.

“As governor, he knew that for a state to grow, the security situation must be conducive. Anambra became great after he made the state inhabitable for criminals.

The people who are witnesses to this have vowed to return him as governor. The votes will be overwhelming. Obiano is a wonder worker, a governor with a vision and mission. He has surpassed his predecessors’ records. APGA will defeat all other parties and Obiano will emerge victorious,” Ochije said.

He also called on all stakeholders, security agents and INEC to be fair and ensure that the election was peaceful, stressing that a non-violent election was key to a successful Anambra State.


50  PDP, APC members defect to APGA 

From Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha 

Fifty members of the opposition parties from Onitsha north council of Anambra State yesterday defected to the ruling All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA).

The defectors, it was gathered were former members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the council before their defection.

The defectors who were received by Governor Willie Obiano and the Director General of Obiano Re-election Campaign Organization, Chief Victor Umeh at the campaign rally at the Ezechima primary school field Onitsha, were urged to remain steadfast and convert more people to APGA ahead of the election.

Among those who defected to APGA were the Woman Leader of PDP in Onitsha North, Mrs. Nwuze Ogazi, Youth leader, PDP Onitsha North, Chudi Egbeche and Youth leader APC Onitsha North, Dominic Onyema . The defectors also tore their membership cards and pledged their support for APGA in forthcoming governorship election.

Obiano while addressing the crowd at the rally, Obiano solicited for support and votes in November 18 governorship election, saying that if elected for the second term, he would sustain the security of lives and property being enjoyed in the state where the people sleep with their two eyes closed.

“We dismantled criminals at Upper Iweka, people are freely moving, and people are now coming for festivities due to security in the state, no more kidnapping. I will sustain that if elected,” Obiano said.

In their separate remarks, Chief Umeh and former Central Bank Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo appealed to the people of the state to support Obiano for a second term because he has performed based on the fund available to the state, stressing that he has been tested and trusted than those other candidates who has never held public office before.


PPA candidate promises to link up communities in Awka North

Geoffrey Anyanwu, Awka

The Progressive People’s Alliance (PPA) candidate in the November 18 governorship election, Mr. Godwin Ezeemo, has promised to link all the communities in Awka North local government if elected as governor of the state.

Speaking at Achalla, the headquarters of the council, when he addressed stakeholders including the revered traditional rural of Achalla and elder statesman, Igwe Alex Nwokedi, Ezeemo said the first six months of his government would be dedicated to ensuring that the link road that joins all the communities of Awka North would be built to standard.

The PPA candidate whose campaign train had a herculean task accessing the area due to bad roads decried what he described as government neglect of the area.  Ezeemo further described as an act of wickedness the denial of the people of the area of good roads and the most basic infrastructure by the past and present governments, even when the resources to provide them were available.

He said, “How can an ex-governor tell us that he left N40 billion in cash while leaving office when we have such pressing needs like linking up sister communities in Awka North with good roads which will facilitate socio-economic development in the area and ultimately in the state?

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“How can the present government be proud to spend billions of naira on high quality billboards, endorsements and posters for a second term when the same money was enough to build the long neglected link roads in Awka North, a more effective way of winning the heart of the people to vote him in for a second tenure?”

Responding, the Chief Press Secretary to former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 1978 and monarch of Achalla, Igwe Nwokedi, appreciated Ezeemo’s candid observations, and noted that he spent his days during the Nigerian Civil war in Aguata, Ezeemo’s local government and that Aguata people left a good impression on him.

He said, “Umuchu people are good people; very decent, humane, genuine people who are highly controlled by their nature, and I believe that Ezeemo will behave like his people.”


Obaze remains our candidate –PDP

… Dismisses suspension claims

From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja

Peoples Democratic Party( PDP) Caretaker Committee in Anambra State yesterday said former Secretary to the State Government( SSG), Oseloka Obaze remains the party’s candidate in the November 18 governorship poll.

This was contained in a statement issued yesterday by secretary of the caretaker committee, Iyom Josephine Anenih.

Anenih , who stated this in reaction to opposition to Obaze’s candidature and the purported suspension of the leadership of the party in the state by some aggrieved  party members ,  said the Anambra PDP was poised to win the governorship poll.

“Oseloka Obaze and Lady Chidi Onyemelukwe (Nee Ekwueme) are our candidates for November 18. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has published their names on its final list of candidates. We are marching forward not backward. Team Obaze is a conquering team. Do not let anyone deceive you. Anambra PDP is intact. Those presenting themselves as desperate have no place in the party.” she said.

Mrs. Anenih further said that “this time around, Anambra PDP is focused and resilient. It won’t allow desperate folks derail its vision and mission to Government House Awka. The era of trading people’s hopes, aspirations and democratic rights for porridge is over, and for good. Anambra PDP is on a roll and the desperate few cannot bring it back to the past. “

The Anambra PDP scribe, said the party was not surprised by the continued opposition of some of its members to Obaze’s emergence as its standard bearer, declaring that “we have also, always known that some persons who have always lived with a sense of deep entitlement are behind the group. We are aware that the group, unserious as they are, is a tool in the hands of the ruling party in Anambra State, which is scared of the renewed vigour in PDP, which has carefully cleaned its stable and rescued that party from the hands of the desperate who are always willing to trade the party to the highest bidder.”

She  further said “It is on record that the caretaker committee of our great party ably led by Prof. ABC Nwosu and Iyom Josephine Anenih, have spared no effort in redirecting and re-positioning the party in Anambra State. Our party went through a primary election that has been adjudged as the best so far in the history of the party in Anambra State.

“Those who are angry and working to derail the party at this time have proven that the poor fortunes of Anambra PDP, in the past, have always been to their selfish benefits”.  We therefore call on PDP supporters in Anambra State and across the country to remain resolute in their support to the party and ignore the desperation of a few political traders.”


Osinbajo, Saraki, Kalu, APC governors storm Onitsha for Nwoye

From Aloysius Attah, Onitsha 

Nigeria’s Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, former Abia governor, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu and governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are expected today in Onitsha, the Anambra State capital for the official flag-off of the party’s governorship campaign ahead of the November 18 poll.

The APC flag off campaign chairman in the state, Azuka Okwuosa, disclosed this in Awka yesterday while briefing journalists on the preparation for the event, billed to hold at All Saints Cathedral, Onitsha.

He said some of the governors had already arrived ahead of the event saying that arrangements were on to mobilise all Anambra people in and outside the state for the rally.

Okwuosa further said that the flag off ceremony would witness an unprecedented crowd never seen in the history of Anambra politics which he noted, was as a result of the unity of purpose of the party in readiness to take over the Awka government house.

He said APC through Tony Nwoye’s candidacy was poised to take over the state so that Anambra could be connected to the centre instead of remaining outside.

He also disclosed that the new defectors to the party would be welcomed officially at the venue of the campaign flag off.

On his part, the Director General, Tony Nwoye Campaign Group, Oscar Ezenwa chided those speaking ill of Tony Nwoye, noting that peddlers of such falsehood are only afraid of Nwoye’s towering credentials which he would use to defeat other candidates.  He maintained that the flag off would signal the final death of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) and the People Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.