Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) has advised the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) not to waste their resources contesting the Anambra State governorship election as it would be efforts in futility.
Publicity Secretary of the ZLP Campaign Council, Afam Dozie Ofomata, at the party’s secretariat in Awka, the state capital yesterday, asked the candidates to immediately withdraw from the election.
“This call is against the backdrop of the fact that key political stakeholders in Anambra have already embraced the coalition arrangement on the platform of the ZLP, with Chief Obiora Okonkwo as consensus candidate, a development that has made any contest on the other parties an effort in futility.
“The ZLP informs the people of Anambra State that arrangements have been concluded with key stakeholders in these parties as well as seven other minority parties on the use of the ZLP as a coalition platform to actualize the collective interest of the people at the elections.
“The PDP, APGA and APC have irredeemably mismanaged their nomination processes, leading to invalid candidates, endless litigations, bitter infighting, confusion and inability to forge a direction.
“The ZLP is particularly not surprised at the collapse of the PDP governorship campaign structure, as the leaders, critical stakeholders and foot soldiers of the party in Anambra have now abandoned its candidate, Valentine Ozigbo, having realized that his candidacy, which did not meet the statutory nomination requirements cannot fly.
“In the case of APC, it is practically a futile venture given the recent Supreme Court verdict which directed to the illegality of the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led APC national leadership, a development that technically invalidated the nomination of Senator Andy Uba as candidate for the election.
“In the same vein, APGA do not have a valid candidate as the nomination of Prof. Charles Soludo has also failed elementary statutory requirements, including irreversible inaccuracies and inconsistencies that have flawed the entire nomination process.
“Ndi Anambra, of course, know better than embarking on a journey with such faulty vehicles. This informs why they are identifying enmasse with Chief Obiora Okonkwo on the platform of ZLP.
“The ZLP, as a coalition platform, is pleased to inform that our candidate, Chief Okonkwo is currently enjoying the solidarity of the highest demography of supporters and volunteers, having established firm affinity with all segments of the voting population across the 326 wards and 21 local government areas in the state.
“Moreover, Ndi Anambra are rallying behind Chief Okonkwo, because he is armed with the competence and practical blueprint for massive development of the state.
“In the coming days, the ZLP will commence a vigorous enlightenment campaign ahead of the elections. In that regard, the leadership of the party has concluded arrangements to relocate our entire structure, including the national machinery to Anambra State to ensure that nobody robs Ndi Anambra of their desired collective victory with Chief Okonkwo on the platform of the ZLP”, Ofomata said.
